1. Assyrian Empire

2. Assyrian Empire

3. Underdog Story Small kingdom on the Tigris Trading Center
Mesopotamian Culture
Previously Subjugated
Began to expand

4. Pre-Reform Similar to the other Mesopotamian armies
mostly raised farmers

5. Problems with Farmer Soldiers?

6. Reforms of Tiglath-Pileser III
Introduction of a standing army
Meritocracy
Fully utilized Iron weapons
Engineers
Army Boots
Brutal “Feudalism”

7. Chariots The core of the army heavy four horse chariots.
contain more men (four in total).
smashed into enemy formations
Assyrian cavalry and infantry could exploit the gap

8. Calvary Influenced by Iranian Medes.
cavalry are depicted in pairs, with one rider holding both reins and the other shooting with a bow.
experienced fewer problems with cavalry when deployed as lancers (still paired)
formed the core of the later Assyrian armies.
Horses became extremely valuable

9. Siege Warfare Battering Rams Within towers Six wheels
Shielded with metal plates
Archers placed to attack those on the wall

10. Tactics and Strategies
Frontal “Shock Assaults led by chariots
Destroy enemies ability to fight
Colonize new territory
Total Destruction
Deportations
General Terror

11. Cost of Losing Uprooted populations Removal of parts
Impaling and Flaying
Taxes and Tributes
One King committed suicide after amere threat

12. Maintaining an Empire Garrisoned Troops Built Roads
Created a Post System
Taxes and Tribute
Expanded Economy
Fear
Phoenicians spared for Silver trade from Iberia

13. Assyrian Equipment

14. HELMETS Conical Helmet rises to a point above the head iron or bronze
additional cheek or ear pieces added later

15. CUIRASS Laminar Armor scale armor
Originally covered entire body, later shortened

16. CUIRASS
Irtu
circular flat plate attached to the center of the chest by leather straps.
bronze or iron

17. Shields
Round shield
convex shield
Conical shield

18. Battles and Wars of Assyria

19. Battle of Nihriya (1237) between the Hittites and the Assyrians
control over the former empire of Mitanni
Assyrians slowly conquered Hittite Lands and/or vassal states
Assyria won a decisive victory and would play a key role in the destruction of the Hittite Empire

20. Battle of Qarqar (853 BCE)

21. Prelude (cont.) The Assyrian army reached modern day Aleppo
Then invaded southwest to Hamath
They Pillaged the land trying to force battle.
“I approached the cities of [king] Irhuleni, the Hamathite. I captured Adennu, Parga, and Argana, his royal cities. I carried off captives, his valuables, and his palace possessions. I set fire to his palaces.”

22. Prelude (cont.) The army of Salmanesers continued to the Qarqar
Likely knew his enemies were there/arrivng
logical for the coalition to try to liberate this Pattina, a newly conquered state.

23. Salmaneser describes the fight
“I fought with them. I decisively defeated them from the city of Qarqar to the city of Gilzau. I felt with the sword 14,000 troops, their fighting men. Like Adad, I rained down upon them a devastating flood. I spread out their corpses and I filled the plain. I felled with the sword their extensive troops. I made their blood flow in the wadis. The field was too small for laying flat their bodies; the broad countryside had been consumed in burying them. I blocked the Orontes river with their corpses as with a causeway. In the midst of the battle I took away from them chariots, cavalry, and teams of horses.”

24. Aftermath the battle of Qarqar had not been decisive,
continuous warfare followed
ended in the inevitable Assyrian victory
Assyrian power in Syria was to last for two centuries

25. Assyrian Siege of Lachish (701)
Several kingdoms in the Levant ceased to pay taxes
Sennacherib set out to again subjugate them
The Jewish King, Hezekiah was among them
One his way to Jerusalem he came across Lachish, the second most important among the Jewish cities.

26. Battle Assyrian Army attacked from the south
military engineers built a ramp to the east of the main gate
close combat followed
siege engines broke the wall
the Jewish defenders retreated
leaders of Lachish tortured to death

27. Elam Destroyed (639 BCE)
In 648 BC, the City of Susa was razed to the ground;
last and most glorious act of retribution and conquest
Slaughter their elites
Deported its people
Stole the bones of its dead kings
Sowed salt in the earth to ruin future harvest
Assurbanipal “For a distance of a month and twenty-five days' journey I devastated the provinces of Elam. Salt and sihlu I scattered over them... The dust of Susa, Madaktu, Haltemash and the rest of the cities I gathered together and took to Assyria... The noise of people, the tread of cattle and sheep, the glad shouts of rejoicing, I banished from its fields. Wild asses, gazelles and all kinds of beasts of the plain I caused to lie down among them, as if at home.”

28. Battle of Ninevah (612 BCE)
Alliance of Babylonians, Medes (Iran), Persians (Iran), Cimmerians (Steppe) and Scythians (Steppe)
Destruction of one of the great cities of the world
The Assyrians refused to submit, fought out of the city and established a new capital
The beginning of the end

29. Battle of Megiddo (609 BCE)
Pharaoh Necho II of Egypt was attempting to join with Neo-Assyrian Empire forces in Northern Syria
This required passing the Kingdom of Judah.
King Josiah refused.
They fought at Megiddo
Josiah died
Judeah became a vassal state of Egypt.

30. Battle of Carchemish (605 BCE)

31. Background Assyrian capital Nineveh was overrun in 612
Assyrian capital Harran was captured by the alliance in 609 BC
the capital was then moved to Carchemish
Egypt was allied with the Assyrians and marched to their aid in 609 BCE
Egyptian Assyrian alliance attempted to retake Harran but failed

32. Battle
Egyptian-Assyrian Alliance (40,000) fought the Babylonian and Median army (18,000) at Carchemish.
The enemy was led by Nebuchadnezzar II
Egyptian and Assyrian forces were destroyed.
Assyria ceased to exist
Egypt retreated and was no longer a significant force.
Babylonia reached its economic peak