ASSYRIAN
EMPIRE
Ch. 4 Section 2
The Beginnings
Starting around 850BC, Assyria acquired a
large empire through the use of highly
advanced military organization and
cutting edge weapons.
-Some historians believe that the Assyrian culture
of War may come from the history of their land.
Their flat land made their territories open for
attack, and as a result the various cultures in the
regions all became able and willing to fight Wars.
Sennacherib
An Assyrian King, so brutal he
would brag about the cities he had
destroyed.
-Allegedly he conquered 89 cities
and 820 villages.
-Under his rule Assyrian art and
architecture would reach its peak.
-Assassinated by his oldest son.
Military
Assyrian soldiers used iron to
make top quality weapons.
Soldiers had metal armor and
wore copper helmets and used
swords and spears.
They would have soldiers from
the back shoot arrows while those
in the front would fight with
swords and use large hammers to
break down city walls.
Expansion
Between 850-650BC, the Assyrians
conquer Syria, Israel, Judah and Babylonia.
Nineveh
The capital of Assyria
established by King
Sennacherib.
It was the largest city of its day
and had the worlds largest
libraries.
King Ashurbanpial, collected
over 20,000 clay tablets to add
to their library.
Epic of Gilgamesh
A narrative poem that dates
back from before 2000BC.
Historians use the epic to
help study the Sumerian
cultures.
Oldest narrative
in history
2700BC
SNAKE (also
in Bible,
cultural
diffusion)
It is unclear whether or not
Gilgamesh existed, but the
epic has been useful for
historians in various ways.
EPIC OF GILGAMESH
ANIMATION
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=qOrfrHys8g8
Assyrian Warfare
counting
heads….
Fall of Assyria
In 612BC, a combined
army of the Medes and
Chaldeans and others
burned and leveled
Nineveh.
Since the Assyrians were
so brutal, many people in
the region were happy
about the fall of the
Assyrians.
Rebirth of Babylon
capital.
The Chaldeans made Babylon their
A Chaldean King named Nebuchadnezzar
restored the city with hanging gardens. These
gardens were so beautiful, Greek scholars later listed
them as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
7 wonders of the
Ancient World
New Babylon
Very thick strong walls that even a four-horse chariot
could wheel around on top of them.
The main building was a ziggurat at the center of the
building. Priests would use this seven floored ziggurat
to observe stars from the top of the tower. Their
observations would become the basis for both astronomy and astrology.
Pop Quiz
1. Describe Assyrian warfare (3-4 sentences)
(6 points)
2. Who was Sennacherib? (2-3 sentences)
(3 points)
3. Describe New Babylon
(3 points)
(page 98) Assyrian Questions
1. Why did the Assyrians develop into a great
military power? Why did their power decline? 1
paragraph
2. Do you think the Assyrians almost exclusive
reliance on military power was a good strategy for
creating their empire? Why or why not? 1 paragraph
3. Research for an instance when a modern ruler
(post 1900s) used excessive force to govern or put
down opposition. 1 paragraph
THE PERSIAN
EMPIRE
Chapter 4 Section 3
The FALL of ASSYRIA
Despite Assyrian Empires expansion between 911
and 627BC, various civil wars and revolutions
would help topple the ancient Empire.
By 612BC Medes and the Chaldeans helped
overthrow the Assyrian Empire.
The RISE of PERSIA
Various tiny Kingdoms
ruled the region
following the fall of
Assyrians, but
eventually two powers
would emerge, the
Medes and the Persians.
Cyrus the Great
Persian King, Cyrus was a military genius who
conquered many lands for Persia between 550
to 539BC.
-Eventually his empire controlled 2,000 miles
-He was an expert of administering empires. Instead
of forcing conquered people, he would instead tolerate
their cultures and customs. He also did not allow his
soldiers to loot or burn. By doing so, he made the
newly conquered less likely to revolt.
TOMB
Cyrus Cylinder
• Inscribed in cuneiform.
• Some describe it as at the “first charter of human rights”.
• Discovered in 1878.
Persian Empire
Best organizer among Persian kings = Darius I
(521-486) Divided empire into 23 provinces
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satrap
Each province ruled by a
=
governor
Satraps collected tributes, administered
justice, raised taxes for the army and led the
army in their provinces
Moved the capital from Susa to Persepolis
Ruled more than 35 million people
Empire stretched more than 3000 miles –
from Nile to Indus River
Remember
Chapter 1?
20 Provinces
The Empire was split into roughly 20 territories,
each having their own type of language, and
often their own laws.
There would be governors known as satrap
who ruled locally, and military leaders who
would collect taxes for Darius.
Roads and Coins
Darius would develop an excellent system of
roads, the most famous known as the Royal
Road, which made trade and travel easy within
the empire.
Furthermore, the development of metal coins
created a standard value across the empire,
which made trade easier.
Big Picture Question Democracy vs.
Despotism using Rome v Persia?
Often, modern historians would associate the Romans
(which we will talk about more in November/December)
as being the “democratic” group where as the Persians
had a divine right King (Similar to Mandate of Heaven),
Highly centralized, Cult of kingship (secrete police).
HOWEVER, history is not so simple. The Persians had
the Cyrus Cylinder (mentioned in previous slide),
Zoroastrianism rejected slavery and there was religious
tolerance.
MAZDA
(Car?)
Zoroastrianism
Dualistic
Religion
(Good God
vs. Bad God
Taught that the earth is a battleground where
great struggle is fought between the spirit of
good and the spirit of evil.
-Zoroastrian religion teaches a belief in one god,
Ahura Mazda, who will judge everyone at the end of
time.
-Today modern Zoroastrians continue to observe the
religions tradition, primarily in India and Iran.
-Followers are called Parsis.
Replaced by Islam
Zoroastrianism was later replaced by
Islam in the 7th century.
Jihad against the
Zoroastrians'
Greco-Persian Wars
The Greeks engaged in war with the Persians
in the early 5th century.
Battles came to an end when there was the peace of
Callias in 449BC.
Egypt was able to hold off the Persians until 343BC.
XERXES
More later….
Alexander the Great
Between 334BC-331BC Alexander the Great
and the Macedonians defeated the Persians.
More later….
part 2.
Today
Today, the nation of Iran exists where
the Persian Empire once was.
Iran became an Islamic Republic in 1979,
when the Muslim leader Ayatollah Khomeini
overthrew the Shah.
Since then Iran has been a Muslim theocracy.
Chess
The game started in India, and was later adopted
by the Persian Empire.
The game later on would make its way to Europe
through the crusades, and by the 20th century it was a popular game world wide.
How to play chess
PAWN
ROOK
CASTLE
KNIGHT
BISHOP
QUEEN
KING
• SPARK CHESS
• http://www.sparkchess.com/