Assyrian Domination &
Persian Unity
Military Machine
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
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
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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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–
–
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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