The Assyrians

Of all the nations of the ancient Middle East, the Assyrians were best known for their ruthlessness and cruelty. It was this wrath that helped them build a powerful empire, but in the end, it also became the cause of their demise.

Assyrians - one of the most valiant nations in the history of humankind - struggled for centuries to dominate neighboring countries and at the time of its heyday their empire stretched from the Persian Gulf to the Egypt.

To some extent, their aggression was the result of geographical location. The Assyrian state was in northern Mesopotamia, on the river Tigris, north of Babylon. With no natural boundaries such as coasts or mountains it was an easy target of attacks from all sides. Therefore, in order to survive, it required strong army, always ready to fight. In addition, the Assyrians were skillful merchants and their country lay at the intersection of major trade routes in Mesopotamia. This obviously could be a source of vast riches for anyone capable of maintaining control over the area. Thus, many of the wars waged by the Assyrians were fought for profits.

Like neighboring Babylonians, the Assyrians were the Amorites, i.e. peoples of Semitic origin who conquered Sumer and Akkad following their divergence from Arabia by the end of the third millennium. Assyria emerged as a separate unit aroud 1900 BC, but it had to endure a few hundred years of Babylonian domination and barbaric power of the kingdom of Mitanni. In these difficult times not only did the Assyrians manage to maintain national identity, but also develop strong military tradition which through which in the 14th century BC their military career began in earnest.

The brutal army

Their conquests were very extensive - din the 12th century during the reign of king Tiglath-Pileser I Assyrian rule reached as far as the Mediterranean Sea. The history of their conquests, however, was variable. Along with the new peoples penetrating the territories of the Middle East, the old countries fell and new ones emerged. That meant new enemies for the Assyrians, the Arameans perhaps being the most notable ones. But against these odds, with Assyrian militarism becoming increasingly brutal from the 9th century BC onward, they managed to absorb much of Mesopotamia and northern Syria, thus forming a true empire.

After a period of partial collapse of the state, Assyria - led by the victorious general Tiglath-Pileser III, the founder of a new dynasty - began in 745 BC, his final and most spectacular expansion. The successors of Tiglath-Pileser III were skilled and ruthless rulers - especially Sargon II and Sennacherib. Addicted to his army, the Assyrians were excellent innovators in the field of military art. Quickly adapted to the needs of the army of iron, which supplanted bronze, as well as horse chariots, and as soon as we have bred horses able to carry a man, the first formed the cavalry. Defeated enemies, seeking refuge behind the walls of their fortresses, they had to give way to war machines of the Assyrians, who after breaking the enemy defense device bloody massacres defending the fortress inhabitants.

The wealth of a vast empire allowed the importation of stone, wood and precious metals, which are used as ornaments of great cities such as Ashur, Kalakh, Dur-Sharrukin (Chorsabad) and Nineveh. Each of the great rulers of the empire built his own palace, guarded by the enormous size of the statue in the shape of winged bull-headed people.

In addition to killing enemy soldiers, Assyrians conquered nations also restrained by the mass deportation of the ruling elite (the aristocracy, officials, craftsmen). The rest of the population, deprived of the guiding forces became more compliant. This cunning politician with a well-organized army and efficiently operating offices, helped Assyria survive centuries of war and unrest.

However, not all enemies managed to fully overcome - for example, concerned the Syrians. The continuous expansion of the Assyrian strained resources, including human. They came also new enemies. The source of weakness has also become a lust for power and frequent breakdowns in the royal family, leading to coups and coup that brought harm to the state.

End of empire

Under the reign of Ashurbanipal ( 668-627 BC) Assyria seemed strong as ever. She managed to break the grand coalition of enemies. Although has been lost control of the distant Egypt, but it only helped to strengthen the state. But the type of repressive government can not afford the slightest moment of weakness, and when this occurred, the effects were immediate and devastating. In the thirties of the seventh century BC Assyria shaken by violent internal conflicts that started the disintegration of the empire. For weakening the enemy attacked from the east Medes, and the Babylonians noon. In 614 BC it was conquered old capital of Assyria - Ashur, in 612 years BC fallen such a big city like Nineveh and Kalakh. This was the moment that the Assyrians were murdered en masse - so fiercely that eventually they completely disappeared from the surface of the Earth.

Did you know...

• The Assyrians were among the first who used cavalry in warfare. They excelled at riding chariots.
• Each of the great kings of the Empire built his own palace decorated with huge, beautifully carved reliefs which depicted his exploits as a ruler, warrior and hunter.