The First Military Empires

The Sumerians The Standard of Ur - one of the earliest representations of a Sumerian army What do you see in this Mosaic?

Standard of Ur Cont. Battle scenes include four-wheeled chariots Chariots are drawn by teams of some sort of domestic horse like animal trampling the enemy spearmen clad in armored cloaks; and other infantrymen bearing sickle-like knives or axes also depict prisoners, wounded, naked, and humiliated, being presented to the king

Sargon of Akkad & the Sumerians Warfare is as old as urban life and the practice of agriculture in the Near East. Sumer (Southern Mesopotamia) was divided into many warring temple-states Capital city ringed by small towns, villages, and irrigated agricultural land. This changed when the cupbearer of the King of Kish brought all of Sumer under his rule. His name Sargon of Akkad

Sargon of Akkad He campaigned in Syria and won crushing victories and gained control of the silver mines and cedar forests of Lebanon He controlled the first multiethnic empire 2270 to 2215 BC Sargon replaced the rulers of the fiercely independent temple-states with his own governors

Sargon of Akkad continued Sargon’s instruments for controlling his Empire A large standing Army –5400 professional soldiers ate at his table daily 4 Wheeled “Battle Cars” –Two man vehicle –Primary function was to charge and frighten the enemy Close order spearmen and Shield-bearers Medium range javelin men

Egyptian Warfare Kamose realized the advantages of incorporating the chariot into the Egyptian Army Egyptians improved on the 4 wheeled chariots of the Sumerians. Egyptian Chariots where light two wheeled vehicles Manned by a driver and a fighter armed with a bow and a spear.

Egyptian Warfare The Egyptian chariot was drawn by two horse rather than four. It was used to protect the infantry Thutmose III and Rameses II forged a “New Model Army” for imperialist expansion into Palestine, Syria and Nubian. Thutmose III extended the Egyptian empire to it greatest limits after winning the Battle of Megiddo. Further expansion was stopped at the Battle of Qadesh against Egypt's greatest enemy the Hittites

Hittite Warfare The Hittite Chariot Two wheeled but considerably heaver than the Egyptian Chariot It carried a crew of three –A driver –Shield bearer –And an archer Hittite battle tactics were focused on the offensive use of the chariot with infantry in support.

Hittites continued The Hittite Empire extended over most of Anatolia, parts of Syria and Canaan by 1300 BC the Hittites were bordering the Egyptian sphere of influence This led to the Battle of Qadesh in 1274 BC.

Battle of Qadesh Object: Control of Syria Numbers: –Hittites est.40,000 –Egyptians est.20,000 Result: Both sides were inflicted badly so a non-aggression pact was signed

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Assyrian Warfare The rise of Assyrian military prowess came to being with Tiglath-Pileser III in 745 B.C. Began as a minor kingdom of northern Mesopotamia competed for dominance with its southern Mesopotamian rival Babylon

Assyrian Warfare continued The Assyrians created a full-time army The Assyrian war machine consisted of four compoonents –Household troops – protected the royal family –The king’s army – composed of regular professional soldiers »Chariotry, cavalry, spearmen, shield bearers, archers and slingers –The king’s men – men with land grants that were thus bound to serve in times of war. –General levy – levy of imperial subjects in times of crisis

Assyrian Warfare continued The Assyrian Chariot Large four horse Chariot Used in a shock-charge to break the enemy line It had a 4 man crew – driver, archer, two spearmen/shield bearers Chariots were accompanied by mounted warriors -cavalry Cavalry were in pairs consisting of an archer and shield bearer –The Shield bearer held the reigns of the horse of the archer Assyria finally succumbed with the sack of Nineveh, the Assyrian capital, in 612 BC by the Babylonian king Nabopolassar

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Babylonian Empire 626 BC until the invasion of Cyrus the Great in 539 BC The most notable leader of Babylon is Nebuchadnezzar II –famous for his role in the Book of Daniel and his construction of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon –known among Christians and Jews for his conquests of Judah and Jerusalem.

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Persian Empire formed under Cyrus the Great The empire then reached its greatest extent under Darius I He led conquering armies into the Indus River valley and into Thrace in Europe

Persian’s continued A punitive raid against Greece was halted at the Battle of Marathon Darius’ son Xerxes I tried to subdue the Greeks, but his army was defeated at the Battle of Plataea 479 BC. –These two battles are a part of the Greco- Persian wars

Fall of the Persian Empire Upon the death of Artaxerxes III, the Persian Empire had no strong leader. Philip II of Macedon unified most of Greece and challenged Persian rule. After Philip's death, his son and heir, Alexander, continued the attack on the Persian Empire Alexander the Great landed in Asia Minor in 334 BC. His armies quickly swept through Lydia, Phoenicia, and Egypt, before defeating Darius III at Gaugamela and capturing the capital at Susa

The End