Definition
Assyria was a Mesopotamian empire that grew out of the city-state of Ashur. It can be seen to be the first empire in history, as at its peak Assyria extended from Anatolia in the west, to Armenia in the north, to Media in the east, and to Egypt in the south.
In the Old Assyrian period (20th to 15th centuries BC), Assyria controlled much of Upper Mesopotamia. Assyria grew out of the economically powerful city-state of Ashur, which established merchant colonies (called karum, Akkadian for "port") in Cappadocia. Ashur was an oligarchical city state, with the power divided between the ruler ("Steward of Ashur"), the assembly of elders, and the high priest. Shamshi-Adad I (1813-1791 BC) conquered Ashur, made it his capital, and conquered the kingdom of Mari. His empire now encompassed northern Mesopotamia. Hammurabi of Babylon soon after defeated Shamshi-Adad's successor and made Assyria a vassal state.
The Middle Assyrian period (15th to 10th centuries BC) started with Assyria being a vassal of Mittani, until Ashur-uballit I (1365-1330 BC) seized the throne of Assyria, and conquered lands at the expense of Babylonia. Assyria conquered Babylon and expanded at the expense of the Hittites, reaching Carchemish and beyond. Tiglath-Pileser I added the Phoenician ports at the Mediterranean sea to the empire.
The Neo-Assyrian period is usually considered to have begun with the ascension of Adad-ninari II in 911 BC, lasting until the fall of Nineveh at the hands of the Babylonians in 612 BC. During this period Assyria grew from being a kingdom of northern Mesopotamia to being an empire. Tiglath-Pileser III (745-727 BC) expanded Assyrian control to Judaea, Sumeria, and southern Anatolia. The Assyrian power further expanded to incorporate the kingdom of the Medes, Elam, and Egypt. Under the reign of Ashurbanipal (669-627 BC), Assyria was at the peak of its power, but crumbled: Rebellions occurred in Babylonia, Media, and Egypt. With Lydian help, Egypt declared its independence, and Cimmerians invaded from the north. The Babylonian king Nabopolassar, along with Cyaxares of the Medes finally destroyed Nineveh in 612 BC, marking the end of the Assyrian empire.
In the Old Assyrian period (20th to 15th centuries BC), Assyria controlled much of Upper Mesopotamia. Assyria grew out of the economically powerful city-state of Ashur, which established merchant colonies (called karum, Akkadian for "port") in Cappadocia. Ashur was an oligarchical city state, with the power divided between the ruler ("Steward of Ashur"), the assembly of elders, and the high priest. Shamshi-Adad I (1813-1791 BC) conquered Ashur, made it his capital, and conquered the kingdom of Mari. His empire now encompassed northern Mesopotamia. Hammurabi of Babylon soon after defeated Shamshi-Adad's successor and made Assyria a vassal state.
The Middle Assyrian period (15th to 10th centuries BC) started with Assyria being a vassal of Mittani, until Ashur-uballit I (1365-1330 BC) seized the throne of Assyria, and conquered lands at the expense of Babylonia. Assyria conquered Babylon and expanded at the expense of the Hittites, reaching Carchemish and beyond. Tiglath-Pileser I added the Phoenician ports at the Mediterranean sea to the empire.
The Neo-Assyrian period is usually considered to have begun with the ascension of Adad-ninari II in 911 BC, lasting until the fall of Nineveh at the hands of the Babylonians in 612 BC. During this period Assyria grew from being a kingdom of northern Mesopotamia to being an empire. Tiglath-Pileser III (745-727 BC) expanded Assyrian control to Judaea, Sumeria, and southern Anatolia. The Assyrian power further expanded to incorporate the kingdom of the Medes, Elam, and Egypt. Under the reign of Ashurbanipal (669-627 BC), Assyria was at the peak of its power, but crumbled: Rebellions occurred in Babylonia, Media, and Egypt. With Lydian help, Egypt declared its independence, and Cimmerians invaded from the north. The Babylonian king Nabopolassar, along with Cyaxares of the Medes finally destroyed Nineveh in 612 BC, marking the end of the Assyrian empire.
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Links
- Assyria (general introduction)
http://www.livius.org/as-at/assyria/assyria.html - http://wsu.edu/~dee/MESO/ASSYRIA.HTM
http://wsu.edu/~dee/MESO/ASSYRIA.HTM
Assyria Books
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Oxford University Press, USA (15 February 2009)Price: $10.04 -
W. W. Norton & Company (17 March 2007)Price: $19.77 -
Wiley-Blackwell (13 October 2006)Price: $27.36 -
Baker Academic (01 September 2002)Price: $17.49 -
Harper (01 April 2008)Price: $7.99
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