Assyrian Empire: A History from Beginning to End

The Assyrian Empire was the largest, most powerful, and longest-lasting in the ancient world. It included lands that comprise modern Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Palestine, Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain, and Cyprus as well as large parts of modern Saudi Arabia, Libya, Turkey, and Iran. The Assyrian army was the most effective, most highly trained, and best equipped in the ancient world, and few nations dared to stand against it. This force was used with ruthless brutality by Assyrian kings to ensure that potential foes were terrified of losing a battle with the Assyrians.

There wasn’t just one Assyrian Empire; there were three. Each rose, seized lands in the ancient Near East, and then declined to insignificance. It was only the third empire, the Neo-Assyrian Empire, that finally attained the full size and scope which previous rulers had attempted. Yet the very size of the empire was part of what eventually led to its downfall. Internal dissent and civil wars weakened the empire to the point that it was not able to exercise effective control over the lands it had conquered. When this point arrived, the Assyrian Empire collapsed and disintegrated with bewildering speed.

This is the story of the rise and fall of the three Assyrian Empires.