Mrs. Thompson

8th Grade World History

Mrs. Thompson

8th Grade World History

Chapter 1, Section 3

The Assyrians The Assyrians lived to the north of lived to the north of MesopotamiaMesopotamia near the near the Tigris RiverTigris River in an in an area of fertile valleys.area of fertile valleys.

To defend Assyria from invaders, they To defend Assyria from invaders, they built a built a large armylarge army..

By 900 B.C., the Assyrians By 900 B.C., the Assyrians

took over all of Mesopotamiatook over all of Mesopotamia

and founded an and founded an empireempire..

Foot soldiersarmed with spears anddaggers.

The Assyrian army The Assyrian army

was well organized was well organized

with:with:

Archers armedwith bows and

arrows

Chariot Riders

Soldiers who fought on

horseback.

Chariots & WarriorsChariots & Warriors

Assyrian army was the 1Assyrian army was the 1stst to use to use ironiron weapons.weapons.

They learned a way of They learned a way of making ironmaking iron strong enough for weapons from a strong enough for weapons from a group of people called the group of people called the HittitesHittites..

By By heatingheating iron ore, iron ore, hammering ithammering it, , and quickly cooling it, they made and quickly cooling it, they made iron weapons that were superior to iron weapons that were superior to those made of those made of copper or tincopper or tin..

Assyrian warriors were ferocious fighters Assyrian warriors were ferocious fighters and used many war tactics to defeat their and used many war tactics to defeat their

enemies such as:enemies such as:

1. They tunneled under walls or climbed over them on ladders

2. The loaded tree trunks onto movable platforms and

used them as battering ramsto knock down city gates.

3.They burned down the buildingsof captured cities.

Assyrian warriors were ferocious fighters Assyrian warriors were ferocious fighters and used many war tactics to defeat their and used many war tactics to defeat their

enemies such as:enemies such as:

4. They stole goods and took people as prisoners from captured cities.

5. Punished anyone who resistedAssyrian rule.

6. They drove people from theirlands and moved them

into foreign territory.

Assyrian warriors were ferocious fighters Assyrian warriors were ferocious fighters and used many war tactics to defeat their and used many war tactics to defeat their

enemies such as:enemies such as:

7. They resettled captured territories with new settlers andforced them to pay

high taxes.

Jewish Captives: 8c BCE

Jewish Captives: 8c BCE

The Assyrians forced the Hebrews from their homeland and took them into captivity.

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A Well-Organized A Well-Organized GovernmentGovernment

A Well-Organized A Well-Organized GovernmentGovernment

By about 650 B.C., the By about 650 B.C., the Assyrians had created Assyrians had created an empire that an empire that stretched from the stretched from the Persian Gulf in the East Persian Gulf in the East to Egypt’s Nile River in to Egypt’s Nile River in the West.the West.

The capital of Assyria The capital of Assyria was was NinevehNineveh..

US military at the gates of ancient Nineveh (in Iraq).

A Well-Organized A Well-Organized GovernmentGovernment

A Well-Organized A Well-Organized GovernmentGovernment

Assyrians were strong rulers who divided Assyrians were strong rulers who divided their empire into provinces or political their empire into provinces or political districts.districts.

Officials governed in provinces, collected Officials governed in provinces, collected taxes, and enforced laws.taxes, and enforced laws.

The Assyrians built a system of roads to The Assyrians built a system of roads to join the empire.join the empire.

Soldiers were posted along the roads to Soldiers were posted along the roads to protect traders and government protect traders and government messengers from bandits.messengers from bandits.

Assyrian Military Power

Assyrian Military Power

Assyrian soldiers carrying

away the enemy’s gods.

Assyrian soldiers carrying

away the enemy’s gods.

Life in AssyriaLife in AssyriaThe Assyrians The Assyrians worshipped the worshipped the same gods as same gods as other other Mesopotamians.Mesopotamians.

Their writing was Their writing was based on based on BabylonianBabylonian writing. writing.

Assyrian temple walls (above); Assyrian proclamation

Life in AssyriaLife in AssyriaLawbreakers often faced more

brutal and cruel punishments in Assyria.

The Assyrians were skilled craftsmen who built large temples and palaces

filled with wall carvingsand statues.

Life in AssyriaLife in Assyria

Assyrians produced andCollected literature and built

The world’s 1st library at ninevehThat held 25,000 tablets

Of stories and songs.

How Did the Assyrian Empire End?How Did the Assyrian Empire End?

Assyria’s cruel treatment of people

led to many rebellions.

A group of people inMesopotamia called

the Chaldeans,rebelled and

captured Nineveh.

By 650 B.C., they began fighting

over who wouldbe the next king.

Assyria crumbled!

By 605 B.C., Chaldean King

Nebuchadnezzar gained

Control of Mesopotamia

Chaldeans wereDescendants of

ancient Babylonianswho made up

King Hammurabi’sEmpire.

The Chaldeans built the city of Babylon as the center of

their empire.

Nebuchadnezzar II’s Babylon

Nebuchadnezzar II’s Babylon

Babylon under the Chaldeans

Babylon under the Chaldeans

The City of BabylonThe City of BabylonBabylonBabylon became the world’s largest became the world’s largest and richest city because it was located and richest city because it was located on the major trade route between the on the major trade route between the Persian Gulf and Mediterranean SeaPersian Gulf and Mediterranean Sea..

It was surrounded by a wide brick It was surrounded by a wide brick wall with towers for soldiers to wall with towers for soldiers to keep watch. keep watch.

Babylon had large palaces and at its Babylon had large palaces and at its center was a center was a zigguratziggurat that reached that reached over 300 ft. high.over 300 ft. high.

Site of ancient Babylonian wall

Hanging Gardensof Babylon

Hanging Gardensof Babylon

Built as part of the Built as part of the king’s palace in king’s palace in Babylon was the Babylon was the Hanging GardensHanging Gardens, , one of the ancient one of the ancient wonders of world.wonders of world.

Hanging Gardensof BabylonHanging Gardensof Babylon

The HangingThe Hanging

Gardens were builtGardens were built

by Nebuchadnezzar to please his wifeby Nebuchadnezzar to please his wife

The gardens had large trees, The gardens had large trees, flowering vines, beautiful plants, flowering vines, beautiful plants, and a pump that brought in and a pump that brought in water from the river.water from the river.

Ishtar GateIshtar GateThe Ishtar Gate was at the main entrance to ancient Babylon

Outside the center of Babylon Outside the center of Babylon were houses and marketplaces were houses and marketplaces where artsans made pottery, where artsans made pottery, cloth, baskets, and jewelry.cloth, baskets, and jewelry.

Artisans sold their goods to Artisans sold their goods to passing caravans or groups of passing caravans or groups of traveling merchants.traveling merchants.

Babylon wasthe centerof science

Astronomers - people who study the heavenly bodies - mapped stars, planets, and the phases of the moon.

Chaldeans made one of the 1st sundials and were the first the have a 7 day week.

The Chaldeans found it hard to control the peoples they had conquered.

By 539 B.C., the Persians captured Babylon and made it part of the Persian Empire.