The First Empires

The Assyrians

• About 1000 years after Hammurabi, a new empire arose known as the Assyrians

The Assyrians

• Assyria had fertile valleys that attracted outside invaders– To defend their

land, the Assyrians built a large army

• Around 900 BC, they began taking over the rest of Mesopotamia

Why were the Assyrians so strong?• Their army was well organized

– There were foot soldiers

– Even had chariot riders and soldiers who fought on horseback

Why were the Assyrians so strong?• They were the first army to use iron weapons

– much stronger than in previous years

Why were the Assyrians so strong?• Assyrians warriors attacked cities by tunneling

under walls or climbing over them– Also used tree trunks as battering rams on the city

gates

Why were the Assyrians so strong?• Once they took the city, they would burn the

buildings and carry away the people and goods

– Next they brought in new settlers and forced them to pay heavy taxes

A Well-Organized Government • The Assyrian capital was in Nineveh

• Assyrian kings divided the empire into provinces– Political districts

A Well-Organized Government• Officials were chose to govern each

province– They collected taxes and enforced the

king’s laws

• Road were also built to join all parts of the empire

Life in Assyria

• One of the world’s first libraries was found in Nineveh

– Holding over 25,000 tablets of stories and songs to the gods

– Much is known of ancient civilizations because of this library

Rebellion

• Assyrian’s cruel treatment of people led to many rebellions

• In 612 BC, a group of people known as the Chaldeans captured Nineveh, and the empire soon crumbled

The Chaldeans

• Led by king Nebuchadnezzar, the Assyrians controlled all of Mesopotamia from 605 BC – 562 BC.

The City of Babylon

• They rebuilt the city of Babylon as the center of their empire

• Nebuchadnezzar built the Hanging Gardens (one of the Seven Wonders of the World)

The City of Babylon

• Babylon was also a center of science– There were astronomers; people who

studied the moon, stars, and planets

• The Chaldeans made one of the first sundials and were the first to have a seven-day week.

Why Did the Empire Fall?

• In 539, the Persians from the northeast captured Babylon. – Mesopotamia became a part of the new

Persian Empire