With their modern army and reputation for unparalleled ferocity, the Assyrians were one of the most feared peoples of ancient times. They built an empire that ruled over Mesopotamia and even beyond for centuries.
Little known origins
The Assyrians are best known for establishing their vast empire between the 10th and 7th centuries BC. On the other hand, we are less familiar with earlier periods.
We know that the Assyrians already existed around 2000 BC. They only reigned over a small city called "Assur" in current Iraq.
At the time, they were not at all a great geopolitical power. Besides, they didn't even have a strong army yet. It was a people turned more towards trade, much more than towards war.
Assur, a small trading town.
But from 1800 BC, the Assyrians fell under the successive yoke of foreign invaders : the kingdom of Upper Mesopotamia then that of Babylon and finally that of Mitanni.
Rise
Around 1300, the kingdom of Mitanni collapsed against its rival, the Hittite Empire. And yes, there were a lot of countries in Mesopotamia, it's not always easy to navigate.
The Assyrians therefore took advantage of the fall of the kingdom of Mitanni to emancipate themselves and even to try to become a great power. But now they were no longer a merchant and peaceful people, they were on the contrary driven by an imperialist and expansionist will.
The conquest could begin
They founded their own kingdom (Assyria) with a new, deeply militaristic society. An ambitious policy of foreign conquests was launched. They began by taking the Mitanni from the Hittites.
The Assyrian Empire
But the real turning point was made in 911 with the reign of the new king Adad-Nirari II who launched a new policy of the most important conquests.
The sprawling Assyrian territory then spread in all directions. It is estimated that it is from this time that we can really speak of "Assyrian Empire".
The new king Ashurnasirpal II in 883 BC continued the expansionist policy of his predecessor by invading Mount Lebanon and the shores of the Mediterranean. In 721 BC, King Sargon II also subjugated the kingdom of Judea (present-day Israel).
Over the centuries, the Assyrians have extended their empire. At their peak, they had conquered all of Mesopotamia, including the wealthy city of Babylon and even Egypt.
A relentless war machine
The key to the success of the Assyrians was their formidable and very modern army for the time, which is what allowed them to conquer so many territories.
Around 1000 BC, the Iron Age began. This mineral has become the most used material for making weapons and tools. But the Assyrians exploited it more than anyone. The use of iron favored them because their enemies still too often depended on bronze.
During the reign of King Tiglath-Pileser III (745-727), the Assyrian army became permanent. And any adult man could be mobilized for military service. Thanks to this conscription, the Assyrian kings could line up 100,000 men on the battlefield.
The army was structured. The soldiers were divided into groups of 10, a company was formed of 20 groups.
Assyrian tactics combined the thrust of heavy phalanxes of infantry supported by archers and slingshots with assaults led by chariots. The cavalry, made up of elite soldiers from the nobility, came in support.
The Assyrians practiced all-out war, the goal was to annihilate the enemy by all means. So it was better not to lose against them.
The siege of Lachish
The Assyrians were expert in art of leading sieges. To bring down the ramparts, they used huge iron-headed rams and movable wooden towers to dump troops on the walled towns.
In The Lord of the Rings, the army of Mordor besieges the city of Minas Tirith using the same tactics as the Assyrian army.
They could also destroy the foundations by digging mines at the base of the walls or construct a ramp with an uphill slope to allow troops to access the top of the ramparts.
In 701, Hezekiah, the king of Judea, rose up against the Assyrian yoke. In retaliation, the Assyrian king Sennacherib decided to raze the city of Lachish, the capital of Judea, in order to dissuade other peoples from revolting as well. It was then a question of making an example.
Thanks to their siege tactics, Sennacherib's troops succeeded in seizing the city. Much of the population was massacred, and the survivors were deported and enslaved. The city was destroyed.
Nineveh
During his reign, Sennacherib established the new capital of the Empire at Nineveh, on the banks of the Tigris, opposite present-day Mosul. The city was endowed with aqueducts, canals, grandiose temples, not to mention sumptuous royal palaces.
The walls of the palaces were adorned with violent representations. Scenes of hunting, war, and even the massacres of prisoners were carved on the walls. These ornaments were intended to intimidate foreigners coming to the king's court : they were therefore propaganda images of the time.
The Assyrians were not only warriors, they were also remarkable artists. These low relief sculptures (above) are typical of their art.
Fall
It was the Assyrians themselves who brought about the downfall of their empire. In 681, Sennacherib died, presumably murdered by his son, Assarhaddon, for power. Political murders of this kind have multiplied since this time. These power struggles plagued the Empire.
In addition, around the same time, the Empire was hit by a severe drought that had ravaged crops for decades. His subjects therefore took the opportunity to revolt against the severely weakened Empire.
Nabopolassar, the governor of Babylon, rose up against the Assyrian yoke by allying with the Medes, a people from Iran who were beginning to build their own empire. In 612 Nineveh fell to the coalition armies of the Babylonians and Medes, which led to the fall of the Assyrian Empire.
