Area of Focus
Description / Summary / Major Accomplishments
Historical Significance / Key
Influences on Ancient world
Science/
Technology
(Val)
math:
among the first to invent longitude and latitude in
geographical navigation.
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/A
ssyrians.html
science:
developed a sophisticated medical science which
greatly influenced places as far away as Greece.
inventions:
notable inventions of the Assyrians included
excavations, which were used to undermine city
walls (seige), battering rams to knock down walls
Nimrud Lens
3000-year old piece of rock crystal may have been
used as a magnifying glass, a burning-glass to start
fires, or a piece of decorative inlay.
math:
-contributed to invention of
universal coordinate system,
extremely advanced
science:
-able to positively impact
civilizations from far away,
with limited communication
capabilities
inventions:
-resourceful, used brain AND
braun together to assert
militaristic and industrial
excellence
-possibly created the first
magnifying glass, an
extremely useful piece of
technology
Religion - Faith
Assyrians continued to practice Ashurism until 256
A.D, although by that time, most Assyrians had
accepted Christianity. Indeed, Assyrians were the
first nation to accept Christianity, and the Assyrian
Church was founded in 33 A.D. by Thomas,
Bartholomew and Thaddeus.
http://www.aina.org/brief.html
The conflict between religion
caused a lot of conflict and
lead to war. Very significant
on the culture and traditions
within Assyria. Ashur was
almighty - word was law and
people lived their lives to
glorify him in their practices.
The first Assyrian religion was Ashurism derived
from Ashur, the Assyrian supreme god.
Leading to WWI, almost all Assyrians continued to
live in their ancestral homelands of Northern Iraq,
Southeast Turkey, Northwest Iran and Northeast
Syria. The Assyrian Genocide of WWI, the Semele
Massacre, continuous persecution and policies of
Arabization, Turkification and most recently
Kurdification, forced many Assyrians to leave their
ancestral homelands. During the gulf war of 1991
and the 2003 U.S, lead invasion of Iraq, hundreds
of thousands of Assyrians were forced to flee Iraq.
Additionally, the 1979 Iranian Revolution also
witnessed a huge migration of the Assyrian
population from Iran.
Unlike some religions, the
Assyrian faith has not died.
Division in religion is very
complicated (think Protestant
and Catholics)
ALL RELIGIONS NEED A
LEADER. Beliefs of
Christians: 10
commandments, the bible, no
other idols and Jesus was the
saviour. Assyrians were
involved in conflict of religion
during world war I, finding
themselves persecuted for
their beliefs.
Government &
Law (Sameer)
Government System
The Assyrian government was a monarchy, much
like the other Mesopotamian city states. What set it
apart from the other ones is the following:
Reforms
The longevity and stability of the Empire was due to
reforms that allowed the Monarchy to remain in
power. Limiting the power of High Assyrian Officials
allowed the government to maintain power without
facing increasing threats from regions wishing to
become autonomous. Also the number of
governors were increased, and more provinces
added, diluting their powers, and reducing the
incentive for some ambitious governor to incite a
revolt.
Religious Ideology
The Assyrians’ imperial ambitions stemmed from a
belief that they had a mandate to unite the lands of
the world under their God Assur. This doctrine
provided the Assyrian Empire with the means by
which to create and maintain the vast territories
they conquered. A disciplined army, with the King
being the conduit by which God communicated with
his subjects. So working in tandem with religion
and social structure, the Government worked
exceptionally well..
Reforms
Government was able to limit
power of individual governors,
keeping their authority
unchallenged.
Religious Ideology
The use of religion by the
Assyrian government
provided them with a loyal
population, and a pious,
disciplined army, two key
components of a strong, large
and long-lasting empire.
Centralization of Power
Maintained a strong
communication system
through an elaborate network
of relay stations and
networks, ensuring the King
knew what was going on in
the auxiliaries, something that
insurrection-plagued empires
such as the Persians did not
do.
Terror
Centralization of Power
With such a vast Empire at the height of its power,
communication was key. Unlike the Persian
Empire, which at its greatest extent suffered from
insubordinate states, the Assyrian Government had
constant lines of communication with all of its
Vassal States and extremities, ensuring its
possession of said territories was unquestioned and
recognized by leaders across the region. This was
accomplished through the use of a system of
messenger relay stations that enabled regular
Terror was an effective tool in
the hands of the Assyrian
Empire. Forced relocations,
massacres, and deportation
all helped subdue rebellious
provinces and troublesome
peoples.
communications from the Capital to the provinces.
Terror
The Assyrians have a reputation to this day as
being brutal, violent and bloodthirsty behaviour, and
rightly so. Through forced emigration, mass
deportation and other atrocities, the government
maintained unity amongst the people. Troublesome
populations were destroyed or deported, a tactic
later used by the Mongols with much success.
Military
Alex
- The weapons they used were mostly spears and
missile weapons (javelins, slings, etc.) however on
occasion they did have bronze swords and they
used 4 wheeled chariots often.
- The first time the Empire truly began was under
the reign of Tiglath-Pilesar I (1115-1077 BCE). His
first campaign was against the Phrygians who had
occupied parts of northern Assyria (1112 BCE). The
second campaign was to take over Urartu, a large
area of land in modern Armenia. In the 5 years of
the campaign he had controlled the land from
Urartu to the Caspian Sea. By the end of his 38
year reign he controlled a span of land between the
Mediterranean to the Caspian Sea and was
collecting a tribute from Babylon.
-
Societal Roles/
Class Structure
Hunter
Kings and Priests
aka the Amelu Class
Priests controlled society since the owned a lot of
the land and businesses
Priests were also doctors and ran schools and
libraries in various temples
Upper Class
aka the Mushkina Class
Mostly business people who owned land or
manufacturing companies
wore tons of jewelry
Lower Class
The lower class worked for a living
They were farmers or skilled workers
made things such as pottery and thread
there were also merchants who sold goods
Slaves
owned by priests and wealthy families
often worked to pay off debts
people became slaves if their parents or husbands
sent them or if born into slavery