Assyrian Domination &
Persian Unity
Military Machine
850 B.C. acquired a large empire
Warrior attitude
– Land was flat farmland exposed to invasions
– Constant attacks from mountains
– Developed mentality
Empire runs from east & north of the Tigris River
to central Egypt
Sennacherib (Assyrian King)
– Sacked 89 cities & 820 villages
– Burned & killed Babylon
Technology
Metal & leather armor
Copper helmets
Layered leather skirts
Iron
– Swords
– Pointed spears
Huge shields
Bridges
Organization
Infantry, archers, & cavalry
Generals lead from chariots
Weaken city walls
Infantry march shoulder to shoulder w/i
arrow shot
– Shoot waves of arrows at city
– Other soldiers hammer gates w/ iron tip
battering ram
Aftermath
No mercy
Victims enslaved or killed
Soldiers received bounty for severed
heads
Moved them to another location
Expanding Empire
Combined all land we have discussed
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Governed lands closest to Assyria
Aligned other kings w/ them
If they fail to pay taxes?
Protection
Nineveh
– Est. by King Sennacherib
– Walled city 3 miles long and 1 mile wide
– Ancient world’s largest library (King Ashurbanipal)
Empire Falls
After King Ashurbanipal’s death, Nineveh falls
612 B.C. combined army of Medes & Chaldeans
burn city to ground (Nahum)
Chaldeans revive Babylon
– 1,000 years after Hammurabi, Nebuchadnezzer takes
over
– Hanging gardens (7 wonders)
– 7-tiered Ziggurat (300 feet high)
– Priests observed stars (basis of astronomy &
astrology)
Cyrus the Great
550 B.C. Cyrus begins conquest on neighbors
Ruled from Indus River to Anatolia (>2,000
miles)
Army
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Wore leather pants & thick boots
Short bows
Rode mountain horses
Could not burn city
Cyrus
Believed in tolerance of local customs
Prayed at temples (Babylon’s chief god
Marduk)
Allowed Jews to return to homeland and
rebuild temple (Ezra)
“Anointed one”
Cambyses
Son of Cyrus (dies 530 B.C.)
Conquered Egypt
– Scorned gods of Egypt
– At death revolts happened
Persian empire seems weak
Darius
Noble of ruling dynasty
Started out as member of king’s
bodyguard
Used the Ten Thousand Immortals to seize
throne in 522-521 B.C.
Est. well organized government
United lands from India to Anatolia
Could never beat the Greeks
Government
Split massive area into 20 provinces
Divided by nationalities
– Could use own language, religion, and laws
Satrap-local governors
– Loyalty looked at by “Eyes & Ears”
Standard $
Royal Road -ran from Susa in Persia to Sardis in
Anatolia (1,677 miles)
Both promoted trade
Persian Religion
Persian prophet Zoroaster
– 2 spiritual armies fighting for soul
– God of truth & light, Ahura Mazda
End of life judgment, go to paradise
– God of evil, Ahriman
End of life, go to fiery pit
– Avesta –collection of books
– Person’s choices decide fate of after life
– Similar beliefs in heaven, hell, & judgment as
Judaism, Christianity, & Islam