Military Empires Chapter 7

The Assyrians 7-1

Introduction A. Assyria – upper part of the Tigris River valley B. Same language & writing system as Babylonians C. Warriors D. Assyrians had to learn to fight because their surroundings did not provide protection E. By 800 B.C., they took over cities, trade routes, and fortresses throughout Mesopotamia

I. The Assyrian Army A. Well-organized 1. divided into groups: a. Foot soldiers with shields, helmets, spears, & daggers b. Charioteers, cavalry, & archers B. Hired soldiers from other places & used slaves when they needed more people C. Weapons were made of iron 1. harder & stronger than copper or tin 2. used smelting – heated iron ore, hammered out its impurities, & rapidly cooled it

E. Anyone who resisted was punished D. Cruel warriors 1. skilled in attacking cities – tunneled under walls, climbed over on ladders, used beams to ram holes in gates, etc. 2. once captured, they set it on fire & take the people and goods E. Anyone who resisted was punished F. Some people were so frightened by stories that they willingly surrendered

II. Kings & Government A. Needed strong leaders to rule a kingdom that stretched from the Persian Gulf to the Nile valley B. Ruled many people, so they divided the empire into provinces – political districts 1. each province had an official that governed, collected taxes, and enforced the laws C. System of roads connected each province 1. traders and messengers used these roads 2. government soldiers were stationed along the routes to protect traders from bandits

D. Ashurbanipal 1. great Assyrian king 2. started one of the world’s first libraries 3. collected all cuneiform tablets that he thought were worth saving 4. library held 25,000 tablets of hymns, stories, biographies, official documents, & studies of math, astronomy, & botany 5. after his death, some of their conquered people worked to end Assyrian rule