The Assyrian Empire

Geography Fertile Crescent From northern part of Mesopotamia Lacked natural barriers Built empire through constant warfare East and north of the Tigris to Egypt

What natural resources did Assyria need to keep its empire strong? Iron ore and copper for weapons and armor

Sennacherib Assyrian King in early 700s BC Made Nineveh a glorious city and his capital Walls stronger, huge palace, parks, brought water to city from 50 miles away by using canals Captured about 89 cities, 820 villages and burned Babylon Ordered most of the citizens of Babylon killed

Military Organization Well-equipped soldiers Advance planning and technical skill that allowed them to lay siege on cities A society that glorified military strength and engineering skill Made use of ironworking technology Assyrian warrior against the Nubian warrior in 7th c BC

The well-equipped soldier Stiff leather and metal armor Copper or iron helmets Padded loincloths Leather skirts w/ metal scales Iron swords & iron-pointed spears Shields

War tactics Built pontoons as bridges to cross water Ladders to scale walls Dug tunnels beneath city’s walls Marched shoulder to shoulder Archers release shower of arrows Massive, iron-tipped battering rams Killed or enslaved victims Forced captives to settle far away in distant provinces Chariots with brutal force

Enslaved victims

Chariots used w/brute force

Empire Expands B/n 850-650 BC defeated Syria, Palestine, Babylonia

Rules of governing Governed land closest to them as provinces Chose loyal people as governors who report back Collect taxes and tribute from conquered land Destroyed cities and sent them into exile if refuse to pay

Culture Built great cities Sennacherib built the capital of Nineveh along the Tigris River Largest city of its day Sculptures of military campaigns and the lion hunt World’s largest library built by King Ashurbanipal 20,000 clay tablets including Epic of Gilgamesh

Culture Sculptures of military campaigns and the lion hunt

King Ashurbanipal and the library at Nineveh World’s largest library built by King Ashurbanipal 20,000 clay tablets including Epic of Gilgamesh Organized into rooms by subject and cataloged

Human-headed winged bull on wall/door of Sargon II’s palace

Assyrian warship 700-692 BC

Early Warnings of Collapse of Empire Empire spread thin Cruelty earns them enemies Ashurbanipal is the last of the powerful kings With his death, we see decline

What policies indicate Assyria ruled through force? It would destroy cities and exile residents if the people refused to pay taxes.

Decline and Fall of the Assyrian Empire 612 B.C. army of Medes and Chaldeans destroy Nineveh Assyrian Empire is overthrown

How did the destruction of Nineveh help future historians? Fires that burned the city glazed the tablets in the library.

How did the causes of Assyria’s success also cause its downfall? Military expansion and harsh rule made Assyria dominant, but these also led it to spread its power thinly and to create enemies.

Rebirth of Babylon Under the Chaldeans Nineveh and the Assyrian Empire has been destroyed Chaldeans rebuild Babylon Babylon becomes their capital

Nebuchadnezzar Rebuilds Babylon Built the “Hanging Gardens of Babylon” (Ishtar Gate is 1 of the 8 gates of the inner city) Built the “Hanging Gardens of Babylon” Highest building of Babylon was the seven-tiered ziggurat (300 ft. high) Destroys Jerusalem Sends Jews into exile

Ancient City of Babylon

Reconstruction of the Ishtar Gate in Berlin (47 ft. high)

Alternating Dragons and Bulls decorate the gate

Dragons & Bulls on the gate

Lions & flowers decorate the processional street

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Hanging Gardens of Babylon Legend says that one of his wives missed the flowering shrubs of her mountain homeland Fragrant trees and shrubs rose 75 ft. above the city Slaves watered the plants by using hidden pumps that drew water from the Euphrates

Babylon’s 7 tiered ziggurat Astronomers make discoveries about solar system Record sun, moon, Earth & 5 planets belong to same solar system Record how stars and planets change position in sky Observations form basis for astronomy and astrology

British artist, John Martin (1789-1854) “The Fall of Babylon” Legend Babylon protected by 11 mile long wall w/ Euphrates River running under it Stockpiled food for 4 yrs. Cyrus the Great attacked city in 539 BC He dug a canal to drain the water under the wall Men wade under wall Pro-Persian Babylonians opened the inner gate Fall to Persians Persians adopted many Assyrians military, political, and artistic inventions British artist, John Martin (1789-1854) “The Fall of Babylon”