(031) The Assyrians

Question 1

1. time period
2. peaked in

Answer 1

1. 850 - 600 BC
2. peaked 660 BC

Question 2

location/geographical significance

Answer 2

Flat landscape, Tigris river to central egypt, Extended beyond the fertile crescent into Anatolia and Egypt, Babylon was its capital

Question 3

achievements

Answer 3

• Highly advanced military organization and weaponry
• Disciplined organization
• Advanced planning and technical skill
• Vast library
• Art
• Government
  - Collected taxes, if they failed to pay them, they were conquered by the Assyrian army
  - The ones closest to Assyria were turned into provinces and were made dependent territories
  - Assyrian kings chose their rulers or supported kings aligning themselves with Assyria

Question 4

Sennacherib

Answer 4

Assyrian King who “bragged that he had destroyed 89 cities and 820 villages, burned Babylon, and ordered most of its inhabitants killed.”
- He burned Babylon and established this place as the capital of Assyria

Question 5

What they Used

Answer 5

• Iron
• copper/iron helmets
• Leather and metal armor
• Weapons were iron swords and iron-pointed spears

Question 6

Military strategies

Answer 6

• Pontoons: floating structures used to support a bridge
• Dug under walls

Question 7

What did Assyrian kings do in 850 - 650 BC

Answer 7

defeated Syria, Israel, Judah, and Babylonia

Question 8

Nineveh

Answer 8

• Established by King Sennacherib
• Largest city of its day
• Held one of the world’s largest libraries

Question 9

King Ashurbanipal

Answer 9

• collected more than 20,000 clay tablets from throughout the Fertile Crescent.
• One of the last mighty Assyrian kings
• **Nineveh fell shortly after his death

Question 10

In 612 BC, what catastrophic thing happened for the Assyrians

Answer 10

a combined army of Medes, Chaldeans, and others burned and leveled Nineveh.

Question 11

What was the new capital for the Chaldeans?

Answer 11

Babylon

Question 12

Nebuchadnezzar

Answer 12

• Babylonian king, who Restored the city
• Had “I am Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon.” inscribed on the bricks of the babylonian wall

Question 13

Hanging Gardens

Answer 13

• They restored the city with these
• Greek scholars listed them as one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world

Question 14

how thick were the walls of babylon?

Answer 14

so thick that it was said that a four-horse chariot could wheel around on top of them

Question 15

The Chaldeans’ observations formed…

Answer 15

• ** the basis for both astronomy and astrology.**
  
  • Observations were made on top of a seven-tiered ziggurat more than 300 feet high.
  • They concluded that the sun, moon, Earth, and five other planets belonged to the same solar system.
  • kept detailed records of how the stars and planets seemed to change position in the night sky.

Question 16

The Persians

Answer 16

• Came to power after Nebuchadnezzar’s death
• adopted many Assyrian military, political, and artistic inventions.
• Used the organization the Assyrians had developed to stabilize the region.