Assyrian warship THE ASSYRIAN 700 612 BCE AND

Assyrian warship THE ASSYRIAN (700 -612 BCE) AND PERSIAN (559360 BCE) EMPIRES Assyrian King Ashurbanipal Hunting Lions

ASSYRIA (700 -612 BCE) • Semitic-speaking people • Used iron weapons to establish an empire Modern reproduction of Assyrian sword and shield

GOVERNMENT • Ruled by kings with absolute power • Well-organized • Officials developed an efficient communication system • Sargon II was the most important leader Assyrian winged bull from Sargon’s palace

ACCOMPLISHMENTS • Created one of the world’s finest libraries at Nineveh: Ashurbanipal • Established Aramaic as official language • Effective military • Assyrians had the first large armies equipped with iron weapons • Used guerilla warfare, various siege tactics, and terror Assyrian battering ram Infantry

FALL OF THE ASSYRIAN EMPIRE • The Chaldeans and Medes (people who lived in the east) joined together to conquer the Assyrians • The fall of Nineveh preceded the fall of the Assyrian Empire • They divided the empire Tablet detailing the destruction of Nineveh

BETWEEN THE EMPIRES • Nebuchadnezzar • • Chaldean King Made Babylonia the strongest city in western Asia Famous hanging gardens Babylon fell to the Persians in 539 BC • This marked the end of the Mesopotamian empires • Persians adopted Assyrian military, political and artistic inventions Nebuchadnezzar faces off against King Zedekiah, the last king of Judah

PERSIA (559 BCE- 360 BCE) • Persians • Indo-Europeans who lived in modern Iran • Mostly nomadic • Eventually united by one family (Achaemenids) • Contemporaries of Greeks • Persian Empire was massive and grew larger than the prior Mesopotamian empires • Established durable political and cultural traditions • Fertile farmland thriving trade

CYRUS THE GREAT – 559 BC • • Created a powerful state through warfare Indus River to Anatolia Demonstrated wisdom, compassion, and mercy Had a genuine respect for other cultures and practiced tolerance of local customs • Respected temples • Jews returned to Jerusalem

DARIUS – 521 BCE • Bodyguard for Cambyses (son of Cyrus) and one of the Ten Thousand Immortals • Conqueror • Added part of India to Persian Empire • Conquered Thrace (in Europe) • Invaded Greek mainland • Halted at the Battle of Marathon • Created world’s largest empire at that time

• Government • Strengthened • Divided empire into 20 ethnic provinces • Satraps: Governor • Homelands • Created efficient communication system • Like the Assyrians, Darius had a secret spy force – “King’s Eyes and Ears” • The King had the power of life and death

• Military • Empire’s power depended upon the military • Included standing army of professional soldiers • cavalry and infantry • Effective road system

XERXES • Son of Darius • Stopped rebellion in Egypt and attacked Greece • Battle of Thermopylae • Battle of Salamis • Was defeated and returned to Persia

ZOROASTRIANISM • Persian religion Named after its prophet -Zoroaster • Tenets • Proto-Monotheistic: Ahura Mazda • Humans play a role in the struggle between good and evil • Humans are given the freedom to choose between right and wrong • Modern Parsis

FALL OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRE • Kings became isolated and focused on obtaining luxuries, following Darius • Struggles over the throne weakened the monarchy • Family problems • Eventually defeated by Alexander the Great Persian archer