Unit 2: Chapter 4 Section 2

Assyrian Military Machine 850 B.C. Assyria (N Mesopotamia) acquired a large empire. By 650 BC, had defeated: Syria, Palestine, Babylonia, Egypt, & Anatolia

*Looking at the maps, why do you believe the Assyrians had to develop a strong military?

Assyrian Culture Capital City – Nineveh (Mosul, Iraq) -Walled City: 50” thick, 100’ high 3 miles long *Government: Monarchy= KING

Nineveh walls

*Assyrian Military Machine *Military was a greatly organized and deadly fighting force. Lay ‘siege’ to a city with a disciplined military machine: infantry, cavalry, chariots, archers, & battering rams Burned cities & ordered most inhabitants killed

*Military-Led by King/Generals Generals hunting lions. Showed strength & power. What do you see? What do you think it means?

Combat Soldiers

*Assyrian Legacy *Most feared and hated people of the ancient world Impaled Put eyes out Skinned Hot Oil Enslavement Decapitation Picture of an Assyrian skinning an Israelite.

Assyrian Brutality

Impalement The execution by piercing an individual with a long stake or pike.

Decapitation - Beheaded Assyrians received a bounty for each head and paraded before the king

Enslavement Females in harems Skilled workers kept alive for labor

Unit 2: The Persians Chapter 4, Section3

Rise of Persia

*King Nebuchadnezzar’s (Babylonian) Achievements *Built the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon for his wife who missed the mountains. One of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. 75’ tall; watered by an elaborate irrigation system & slaves. Built Tower of Babel- a 300’ high ziggurat

Biblical Babylon Babylon Today

Babylon Today Taken from a helicopter, this photograph provides an aerial view of Saddam's Presidential palace (on the hill) at the ruins of ancient Babylon near Al Hillah, Iraq. The Euphrates River is in the foreground. The open plain behind the ruins is the area of the Tower of Babel, described in the Book of Genesis.

Babylon Falls 612 B.C. – the city of Nineveh was burned and leveled The combined/ merged cultures became known as PERSIANS

*Rise of PERSIA Persians-used Diplomacy and a strong military to forge an empire. What had Assyrians used? Government: Monarchy- controlled by a monarch, an absolute ruler with total power. *Persian rulers were strong, *tolerant, & fair. (Cyrus)

*King Cyrus the Great, 550-530 BC Did not allow conquered cities to be burned & looted. *Honored local cultures, tolerant *Freed Jews, allowing them to return to Israel to rebuild the temple Tomb of Cyrus the Great

* ROYAL ROAD* Ran 1,677 miles There were 111 posts spaced about 15 miles apart; similar to the American Pony Express Royal messengers could travel the road in seven days. *Created to connect ALL the cities within the Empire with ONE road.

*Royal Road* Royal Road Eastern or Southern Route