The Assyrians and Their Histor essays

The Assyrians and Their Histor essays In the plentiful land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, known as Mesopotamia, now modern day Iraq there ruled a powerful civilization like no other in the area. This land had rolling hills and abundant rainfall, making it a very habitable place to live. With such crops as barley and sesame they were able to live a rich life in the area. Animals such as sheep, goats, and cattle also provided a rich life. The name of this great empire was the Assyrians, which struck fear in the hearts of their enemies. This great empire ruled from about 2000 BC to about 612 BC. During this time period the Assyrians went through three separate periods. First there was the Old Assyrian Period which lasted from 2000 BC to about 1363 BC. During this period they invaded Mesopotamia which resulted in the foundation of a number of Assyrian dynasties. This period also consisted of two separate components: independent city-state of Asshur and a group of trading colonies. It was also during this time that Assyria first became independent, this was a time of uncertainty in the Near East political development (Glubok 26). The next period was the Middle Assyrian Period, which lasted from 1363 BC to about 1000 BC. The military might of the empire was transformed at the end of this period. With new innovations like horse drawn chariots, iron smelting and improvement of weapons. The Neo-Assyrian Period lasted from about 1000 BC until about 612 BC. This time in Assyrian history brought about success in battles, the most significant of which being the fall of the Babylonians (Cortell 103). During this time they created the worlds first large empire. The Assyrian period was one of the greatest turning points in the history of Mesopotamia (Nardo 13). During this time in the history of the world many changes were occurring. Before the civilizations in Mesopotamia, there were no civilizations just small tribes and groups. This rich land allowed la...