How could the Power of Assyria fade away so fast??
Printed From: History Community ~ All Empires
Category: Regional History or Period History
Forum Name: Ancient Mesopotamia, Near East and Greater Iran
Forum Discription: Babylon, Egypt, Persia and other civilizations of the Near East from ancient times to 600s AD
URL: http://www.allempires.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=263
Printed Date: 24-Apr-2024 at 09:10
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Topic: How could the Power of Assyria fade away so fast??
Posted By: Jr_Capablanca
Subject: How could the Power of Assyria fade away so fast??
Date Posted: 21-Aug-2004 at 15:53
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Hello! Does anyone have an idea of why Assyria declined in the late 7th century BC? During the reign of Assurbanipal it reached it`s zenit, and not aven babylon was a threat anymore. Only some 50 years later, the empire had ceased to exist. Strange, isn`t it? But why? /Capa |
Replies:
Posted By: Tobodai
Date Posted: 22-Aug-2004 at 12:47
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not really strange at all, happens to alot of empires. ------------- "the people are nothing but a great beast... I have learned to hold popular opinion of no value." -Alexander Hamilton |
Posted By: demon
Date Posted: 22-Aug-2004 at 13:11
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Maybe becasue it was an empire that rose with power, and empires that rises with power falls with power. Remember how Ghengis Khan's empire got split and then destroyed? Even in its height, not even the Teutons dared to win them ------------- Grrr.. |
Posted By: mauk4678
Date Posted: 24-Aug-2004 at 12:22
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I suppose the greater amount of people here would sooner have their gums scraped with a cork-screw then accept that it was an act of God. Empires at that time, especially those of violent peoples such as the Assyrians, had somewhat less solidified power within their empires, as the Romans did, thus allowing the Babylonians to regain some moderate strength even while still within the Assyrian Empire. Another reason its the Location of Assyria's major cities. Ninevah, Assur and Haran were all within close proximity to Media, and so a blitzkried like attack would allow little time to mobilize. Still another reason is that the Assyrians could find no help from her vassal states, for obvious reasons. The book of Nahum gives a good account of the judgement os Assyria. Hope I helped! ------------- 
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Posted By: Sharrukin
Date Posted: 25-Aug-2004 at 00:38
| Assyria in the last quarter century of its existence faced disunity after the death of Assurbanipal. A series of civil wars allowed the Babylonians to regain their independence and begin their conquest of the south. The Medes, independent of Assyria since about 675 BC were in the meantime forging an empire of their own. The Assyrian army at first was able to hold its own especially against the Babylonians, and even was responsible for reverses suffered by the Babylonians. However it was unequal to defend Assyria on another front against the Medes. Eventually the Babylonians and Medes formed an alliance which proved to be the doom of the Assyrians. The Assyrians had as allies the Egyptians, but they were simply too far away for any substantial help. The Babylonians and Medes jointly took Nineveh, but the Assyrian army escaped. It regrouped at Harran but abandoned it in favor of Carchemish where the Egyptians were able to reach in time to strengthen it. This unified force proved no match to the Babylonian army under the command of the crown-prince Nebuchadnezzar. The defeated allies retreated to Egypt leaving the greater whole of Syria-Palestine to be claimed by the Babylonians. |
Posted By: Gallipoli
Date Posted: 25-Aug-2004 at 04:49
Bad management? Ihsan would say "Social-Democrats"  ------------- |
Posted By: Jr_Capablanca
Date Posted: 25-Aug-2004 at 15:27
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Hello! Well, of course some civil wars (especially the uprising started by Assurbanipals halfbrother), weakened the empire. Adn when Assurbanipal finally died, en even larger civil war started. That was probably one cause. Adn I agree with Gallipoli, the assyrian army was badly managed. /Capa |
Posted By: TJK
Date Posted: 25-Aug-2004 at 16:03
| It should be also mentioned that in the VII century we can see the end of Assyrian army domination..the reason was the horse archers occure - Scythians, Medes... |
Posted By: Sharrukin
Date Posted: 25-Aug-2004 at 21:53
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The Assyrians had horse archers.
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Posted By: Berosus
Date Posted: 26-Aug-2004 at 05:33
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The Assyrian Empire declined because it wore itself out. Because
of their policy of terror--burning, flaying, impaling and heaping up
the heads of their victims, and deporting the rest to the other side of
the empire--they made enemies of everybody else. They thought
this would encourage conquered peoples to submit, but it had the
opposite effect. Often the mangled survivors of a vanquished
nation would rise in revolt when the Assyrian army went somewhere else,
and new rebellions would break out whenever a new king came to the
throne. Eventually the Assyrians would exhaust their kingdom
because of this, conquering and reconquering lands that should have
been theirs after the first invasion. Is it any wonder that the
Old Testament prophet Jonah did not want to preach to the Assyrians of
Nineveh? Maybe Ashurbanipal could claim to be master of the known world, but look what he did to get there! Egypt and Media were lost forever; Elam was destroyed; Babylonia was devastated and no longer loyal; the Phoenicians were losing their commerce to the Greek competition; Lydia was rising without meeting serious opposition. The Scythians, supposedly allies, marched and raided through the Assyrian empire as if it were their own, advancing as far southwest as Beit-Shan in Israel before the Egyptians bought them off. The Assyrian army was exhausted, bled white from a century of unending warfare. Despite appearances, Assyria was now weaker than it had ever been. After Ashurbanipal's death, the Babylonians, Medes and Scythians all ganged up against the Assyrians. Only the Egyptians supported Assyria, and because Egypt doesn't have iron, their military technology wasn't good enough to win battles, like the big one at Carchemish in 606 B.C. Assyria probably would have lasted indefinitely if it only had one enemy at this stage, but this was too much. Nineveh fell in 612 B.C., the Assyrians made their last stand at Haran in 610, and that was the end. No one, so far as we know, went to the ruins of Nineveh to write a lamentation. ------------- Nothing truly great is achieved through moderation.--Prof. M.A.R. Barker |
Posted By: TJK
Date Posted: 26-Aug-2004 at 16:53
Yeah, they had..however horse archers were never the core of
Assyrian army (as were the chariots units).. Scythians and Medes have
used horse archer in the massive scale never occured before... |
Posted By: cattus
Date Posted: 28-Aug-2004 at 14:11
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Sharukin, any information that describes Assyrian horse archers? Pictures with expert depictions would be great if available too. ------------- |
Posted By: TJK
Date Posted: 28-Aug-2004 at 14:33
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You should refer to the book "The ancient Assyrians " from Osprey series (by Mark Healy and Angus McBride) The book contain the short but informative description about Assyrian army form the reign of Ashurnasirpal II up the fall of Nineveh. There are at least 4 pictures of Assyrian cavalry from this age (made by Angus McBride) http://www.militaryfocus.com/osprey/elite/39.htm - http://www.militaryfocus.com/osprey/elite/39.htm |
Posted By: cattus
Date Posted: 29-Aug-2004 at 13:38
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thanks TJK, im finally going to break down and order some of those books to keep at my side. ------------- |
Posted By: Gallipoli
Date Posted: 30-Aug-2004 at 03:22
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These guys were just hangin around you know... ------------- |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 18-Sep-2004 at 17:10
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if u guyz would like to find more photos about the assyrian empire visit this site its created by assyrian people . http://www.babylonking.net/art/thumbnails.php?album=9 - http://www.babylonking.net/art/thumbnails.php?album=9
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Posted By: Berosus
Date Posted: 19-Sep-2004 at 06:47
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I have always liked Assyrian sculpture. Thanks for those pictures!
------------- Nothing truly great is achieved through moderation.--Prof. M.A.R. Barker |