ASSYRIANS & PERSIANS MIDDLE EASTERN EMPIRES

I. MILITARY MACHINE

A. INTRODUCTION 1. CREATED LARGE S.W. ASIAN EMPIRE 2. USED ORGANIZED MILITARY

GROWTH OF EMPIRE

B. WARRIOR PEOPLE 1. GEOGRAPHY a. NORTHERN MESOPOTAMIA b. FLAT UNPROTECTED PLAINS

PEOPLE 2. EFFECTS OF GEOGRAPHY a. OPEN TO INVASION b. DEVELOPED STRONG MILITARY FOR PROTECTION

C. MILITARY ORGANIZATION 1. EQUIPMENT/DRESS a.) LEATHER & METAL ARMOR b.) COPPER OR IRON HELMETS

ORGANIZATION c.) LEATHER & METAL SKIRTS d.) IRON WEAPONS

ORGANIZATION 2. SIEGE WARFARE - SURROUNDING A CITY IN AN ATTEMPT TO CONQUER/STARVE THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY

ORGANIZATION a.) TECHNOLOGY 1.)BRIDGING 2.) DIGGING BENEATH WALL (SAPPING) 3.) BOW & ARROW 4.) BATTERING RAM

ORGANIZATION b.) TREATMENT OF CONQUERED 1.) KILLED 2.) ENSLAVED 3.) BEHEADED 4.) EXILED OR DEPORTED (JEWS)

ORGANIZATION C. PURPOSE OF TREATMENT 1.) TO PREVENT REBELLION 2.) SCARE ENEMY WITH REPUTATION

II. EXPANDING EMPIRE

A. INTRODUCTION 1. TERRITORY CONQUERED a.) FERTILE CRESCENT b.) PARTS OF ANATOLIA PENINSULA c.) PARTS OF EGYPT & AFRICA

B. ASSYRIAN RULE 1. ORGANIZATION a.) ALL OF S.W. ASIA (FERTILE CRESCENT) 1.)ALEPPO – ANCIENT NEOLITHIC TRADE CITY 2. JERICHO – NEOLITHIC CITY BECAME ENTRY CITY INTO LANDS OF JUDEA

B. ASSYRIAN RULE b.) DIVIDED INTO PROVINCES - DEPENDENT TERRITORIES (STATES)

ORGANIZATION c.) RULERS OF PROVINCES CHOSEN BY KING (GOVERNORS)

RULE 2. EFFECT OF NEW TERRITORIES a.) MORE TAXES

RULE b.) IF REFUSED TO PAY 1.) CITIES DESTROYED 2.) PEOPLES EXILED OR DEPORTED

…RULE 3. ASSYRIAN CULTURE a.) NINEVEH 1.) ASSYRIA’S CAPITOL 2.) GREAT WALLED CITY (3X1 MILES)

…RULE b.) ARTISTIC TOPICS 1.)BRUTAL MILITARY CAMPAIGNS 2.) LION HUNTS

…RULE C.) EPIC OF GILGAMESH 1.) PROVIDES HISTORY OF EARLY S.W. ASIA

…RULE I WILL proclaim to the world the deeds of Gilgamesh. This was the man to whom all things were known; this was the king who knew the countries of the world. He was wise, he saw mysteries and knew secret things, he brought us a tale of the days before the flood. He went on a long journey, was weary, worn-out with labour, returning he rested, he engraved on a stone the whole story.

…RULE 2.) DICTIONARY TABLETS (a.) CONTAINED SEVERAL LANGUAGES (b.) ALLOWED BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WRITING

III. EMPIRE CRUMBLES

A. INTRODUCTION 1. REASONS FOR DECLINE a.) TOO MUCH TERRITORY (ARMY TO THIN) b.) EXCESSIVE CRUELTY CREATED ENEMIES & REVOLT

…INTRO 2. NINEVEH a.) DESTROYED BY MEDES & CHALDEANS b.) WRITINGS SURVIVED

B. BABYLON AND THE CHALDEANS 1. BABYLON a.) BECAME CAPITOL (CENTER OF NEW EMPIRE)

…BABYLON b.) NEBUCHADNEZZAR (1.) REBUILT BABYLON (2.) HANGING GARDENS (a.) TERRACED GARDENS (b.) BUILT FOR WIFE

…BABYLON (3.) WALL (a.) EXTREMELY THICK (b.) ENCIRCLED THE CITY

…BABYLON 2. DECLINE & FALL a.) FELL AFTER NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S DEATH b.) CONQUERED BY PERSIANS

IV. RISE OF PERSIA

A. INTRODUCTION 1. PERSIAN CONTROL a.) BASED ON TOLERANCE & DIPLOMACY b.) SUPPORTED BY STRONG MILITARY

B. PERSIAN HOMELAND 1. INDO-EUROPEAN MIGRATION (AREA SETTLED) a.) E. OF FERTILE CRESCENT b.) FROM CASPIAN SEA TO PERSIAN GULF

EXPANSION OF PERSIAN EMPIRE

…HOMELAND 2. RESOURCES a.) FARMLAND b.) MINERALS - COPPER - LEAD - GOLD - SILVER

C. CYRUS THE GREAT 1. SIZE OF CYRUS’ EMPIRE a.) EAST - INDUS RIVER b.) WEST - ANATOLIA PENINSULA

…CYRUS 2. METHOD OF TOLERANT RULE a.) FORBID LOOTING AND BURNING b.) HONORED LOCAL CUSTOMS & RELIGIONS

…CYRUS 3. JEWS a.) ALLOWED TO RETURN TO JERUSALEM b.) ALLOWED TO REBUILD CITY & TEMPLE c. OLD TESTAMENT - FIRST APPEARED AROUND THIS TIME

V. PERSIAN RULE & RELIGION

A. CAMBYSES & DARIUS 1. CAMBYSES a.) CONQUERED EGYPT b.) SCORNED EGYPT’S RELIGION (WAS NOT TOLERANT) c.) REBELLION OCCURRED UPON DEATH

DARIUS 2. DARIUS a.) ESTABLISHED ORGANIZED GOV. AFTER REVOLT

…DARIUS b.) EXTENT OF EMPIRE (1.) EAST TO AFGHANISTAN & INDUS (2.) WEST TO EGYPT & ANATOLIA PENINSULA

…DARIUS (3.) UNABLE TO CONQUER GREECE (4.) LARGEST EMPIRE IN THE WORLD AT THIS TIME

B. PROVINCES & SATRAPS 1. PROVINCES a.) DIVIDED INTO TWENTY b.) PEOPLE PRACTICED OWN RELIGION c.) KEPT LOCAL LANGUAGE & LAWS

…PROVINCES 2. BUREAUCRACY OF THE EMPIRE a. BUREAUCRACY - ORGANIZATION OF PEOPLE WHO CONTROLLED THE DAY TO DAY WORKING OF GOV.

…PROVINCES 3. OFFICIALS OF THE PROVINCE a.) SATRAPS - GOVERNOR OF A PROVINCE b. MILITARY LEADERS

…PROVINCES c.) TAX COLLECTORS d.) EYES & EARS OF THE KING - INSPECTORS FOR THE KING & ADMINISTRATION

…PROVINCES 3. HOLDING THE EMPIRE TOGETHER a.) BUILT SYSTEM OF ROADS b. IMPROVED COMMUNICATION

…PROVINCES C. ROYAL ROAD (1.) PERSIA TO ANATOLIA PENINSULA (2.) IMPROVED COMMUNICATION (3.) IMPROVED TRADE

…PROVINCES (4.) SHORTENED TRIP TO 7 DAYS (5.) USED RELAY STATIONS 15 MILES APART

…PROVINCE b.) COINAGE EFFECTS (1.) STANDARDIZED VALUE THROUGH EMPIRE (2.) PROMOTED TRADE

…PROVINCE (3.) MONEY ECONOMY - GOODS FOR MONEY 4.) ROADS & MONEY UNIFY EMPIRE

C. THE PERSIAN LEGACY 1. ZOROASTER - PERSIAN PROPHET & RELIGIOUS REFORMER

…LEGACY a. TEACHINGS 1.) TWO SPIRITUAL ARMIES 2.) AHURA MAZDA - TRUTH & LIGHT

…LEGACY 3.) AHRIMAN - EVIL & DARKNESS 4.) ALL SOULS JUDGED AT END OF TIME 5.) TEACHINGS SIMILAR TO CONCEPTS IN JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY, & ISLAM

D. PERSIAN LEGACY (CULTURAL LEGACY) 1. PRESERVED MESOPOTAMIAN CULTURE 2. DEVELOPED SYSTEM OF TOLERANT GOVERNMENT BASED ON STANDARD LAWS, COINAGE & ROAD BUILDING

ROYAL ROAD