Assyrians Research Paper

The Assyrians were credited for many things that we still use as a part of our civilization today. In this essay I will explain why they were feared and marveled at the same time. The Assyrians were Semitic peoples indigenous to Mesopotamia. They are Mediterranean Caucasoid, and are ethically distinct from Arabs and Jews. They entered history about 900 BCE as challengers to other Semites in the Tigris Valley. They were perhaps the most hated conquerors in ancient history.

The Assyrians were known for inventing the world’s first written language and the 360 degree circles. They established Hammurabi’s code law, and are credited with many other military, artistic, and architectural achievements. Was a dependency of Babylonia and later of the

In 626 Babylon they defeated the Assyrian army. It was then that Egypt began to give active support to their former overlords, in order to keep Assyria as a much weakened buffer state between their regions of interest and the rising powers of the East - an interesting example of Realpolitik.

Yet Egypt was too weak to be able to withstand the attacks of the Medes for long: Two years after a battle between the united Assyrian-Egyptian forces and the Babylonians only 300 km from Babylon itself in 616, the Medes under Cyaxares conquered Ashur. In the year 612 BCE, Niniveh fell to the combined forces of the Babylonians and Medes. Haran, Ashur-uballit's last stronghold, was taken in 610, ending the Assyrian empire.

King Esarhaddon (680-669 BCE), who expanded the Assyrian empire to its greatest extent. At the height of his great power, in 671 B.C.E, he conquered Egypt in less than a month. Once Egypt was captured Esarhaddon and his successor, Assurbanipal (680-626) ruled an empire that stretched over from the Nile River to the Caucasus Mountain. In its time, the Assyrian Empire was the greatest the world had ever seen. The center of the empire was located in what is now known as Northern