the assyrian (700-612 bce) and persian (559-360 bce) empires
DESCRIPTION
Assyrian warship. THE ASSYRIAN (700-612 BCE) AND PERSIAN (559-360 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. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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THE ASSYRIAN (700-612 BCE) AND PERSIAN
(559-360 BCE) EMPIRES
Assyrian warship
Assyrian King Ashurbanipal Hunting Lions
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ASSYRIA (700-612 BCE)
• Semitic-speaking people• Used iron weapons to establish an
empire
Modern reproduction of Assyrian sword
and shield
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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
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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
Infantry
Assyrian battering ram
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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
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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
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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 and thriving trade
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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
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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
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• 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
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• Military• Empire’s power depended upon the military• Included standing army of professional soldiers
• cavalry and infantry
• Effective road system
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XERXES• Son of Darius
• Stopped rebellion in Egypt and attacked Greece• Greece
• Battle of Thermopylae
• Battle of Salamis
• Was defeated and returned to Persia
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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
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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