Neo-Assyrian Empire

(noun)

An empire in Mesopotamian history from 934 BC - 609 BC, during which time Assyria assumed a position of great power.

Related Terms

Examples of Neo-Assyrian Empire in the following topics:

  • Nineveh

    • Nineveh, an Assyrian city on the Tigris River and capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, was one of the earliest, greatest cities in antiquity.
    • Nineveh was an ancient Assyrian city on the eastern bank of the Tigris River, and the capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire.
    • Thus, it became one of the oldest and greatest of all the region's ancient cities, and the capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire.
    • It was not until the Neo-Assyrian Empire, particularly from the time of Ashurnasirpal II (ruled 883–859 BCE), that Nineveh experienced a considerable architectural expansion.
    • In around 627 BCE, after the death of its last great king Ashurbanipal, the Neo-Assyrian empire began to unravel due to a series of bitter civil wars, and Assyria was attacked by its former vassals, the Babylonians and Medes.

  • The Assyrian Culture

    • The Assyrian and Neo-Assyrian capitals of Nimrud, Dur-Sharrukin, and Nineveh are known today for their ruins of great palaces and fortifications.
    • Nineveh was an ancient Assyrian city on the eastern bank of the Tigris River, and the capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire.
    • Thus, it became one of the oldest and greatest of all the region's ancient cities, and the capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire.
    • It was not until the Neo-Assyrian Empire that Nineveh experienced a considerable architectural expansion.
    • In around 627 BCE, after the death of its last great king Ashurbanipal, the Neo-Assyrian empire began to unravel due to a series of bitter civil wars, and Assyria was attacked by the Babylonians and Medes.

  • Babylon

    • Babylon spent long periods under Assyrian, Kassite, and Elamite domination.
    • Throughout the duration of the Neo-Assyrian Empire (911-608 BCE) Babylonia was under Assyrian domination or direct control.
    • Babylon threw off Assyrian rule and destroyed the Assyrian Empire between 620 and 605 BCE, using an alliance with Cyaxares, king of the Medes, and Persians together with the Scythians and Cimmerians.
    • Babylon thus became the capital of the Neo-Babylonian Empire.
    • By 141 BCE, when the Parthian Empire took over the region again, Babylon was in complete desolation and obscurity.

  • The Hittites

    • After c. 1180 BCE, the empire came to an end in the Bronze Age collapse, splintering into several independent "Neo-Hittite" city-states, some surviving until the eighth century BCE.
    • The first archaeological evidence for the Hittites appeared in tablets found at the Assyrian colony of Kültepe, containing records of trade between Assyrian merchants and a certain "land of Hatti. "
    • By 1160 BCE, the Empire had collapsed.
    • "Neo-Hittite" post-Empire states, petty kingdoms under Assyrian rule, may have lingered on until ca. 700 BCE.
    • The Hittite Empire is shown in Blue, ca. eighteenth century BCE–ca. 1178 BCE.

  • Neo-Babylonia

    • The Neo-Babylonian Empire developed an artistic style motivated by their ancient Mesopotamian heritage.
    • The Neo-Babylonian Empire, also known as the Chaldean Empire, was a civilization in Mesopotamia that began in 626 BC and ended in 539 BC.
    • During the preceding three centuries, Babylonia had been ruled by the Akkadians and Assyrians, but threw off the yoke of external domination after the death of Assurbanipal, the last strong Assyrian ruler.
    • The Neo-Babylonian period was a renaissance that witnessed a great flourishing of art, architecture, and science.
    • Most of the evidence for Neo-Babylonian art and architecture is literary.

  • Architecture in Assyria

    • During the Assyrian Empire's historical span from the 25th century BCE to 612 BCE, architectural styles went through noticeable changes.
    • Ziggurats in the Assyrian Empire came to be built with two towers (as opposed to the single central tower of previous styles) and decorated with colored enameled tiles.
    • Building plans remained rectangular through much of the empire's history.
    • Lamassu figures abounded throughout the Assyrian Empire, featuring in the Northwest Palace of Ashurnasirpal II (reigned 883-859 BCE) at Nimrud.
    • Assyrian inscriptions suggest the gates were made of cedar.

  • Artifacts of Assyria

    • Assyrian artifacts consist of a variety of media and range in size from hand-held to monumental.
    • Artifacts produced during the Assyrian Empire range from hand-held to monumental and consist of a variety of media, from clay to bronze to a diversity of stone.
    • Additionally, they bear inscriptions in Assyrian cuneiform and Phoenician script, indicating use by speakers of both languages.
    • This magnesite (magnesium carbonate) sculpture of Ashurnasirpal II (9th century BCE) serves as a rare example of sculpture in the round produced during the Assyrian Empire.
    • Three registers on each side focus on conquered kings from specific regions paying tribute to the Assyrian ruler.

  • Art of the Persian Empire

    • The art of the Persian Empire combined a diversity of styles from other cultures to create a unique Persian style.
    • The Achaemenids (550–330 BCE) established the first Persian Empire under Cyrus the Great, who quickly expanded the empire's borders.
    • Zoroastrianism, an ancient monotheistic religion, dominated the Persian Empire until Islam supplanted it in the seventh century CE.
    • Once thought to have originated with the ancient Egyptians, the manner of goldsmithing evident in the amulet was later found in Assyrian art.
    • Discuss the art produced at the beginning of the Persian Empire

  • Architecture in Mesopotamia

    • Assyrian architects were strongly influenced by the Babylonian style, but used stone as well as brick in their palaces, which were lined with sculptured and colored slabs of stone instead of being painted.
    • Sun-baked bricks remained the dominant building material through the Babylonian and early Assyrian empires.
    • Between the thirteenth and tenth centuries BCE, the Assyrians replaced sun-baked bricks with more durable stone and masonry.
    • From the Early Dynastic Period (2900-2350 BCE) to the Assyrian Empire (25th century-612 BCE), palaces grew in size and complexity.
    • By the time of the Assyrian empire, palaces were decorated with narrative reliefs on the walls and outfitted with their own gates.

  • Indian Architecture under British Imperialism

    • The establishment of the British Empire greatly influenced the architecture and culture of India and led to a fusion of styles and techniques.
    • The establishment of the British Empire in the 18th century laid the foundation for modern India's contact with the West.
    • The Indo-Saracenic Revival (also known as Indo-Gothic, Mughal-Gothic, Neo-Mughal, or Hindu-Gothic) was an architectural style and movement by British architects in the late 19th century.
    • It drew elements from native Indo-Islamic and Indian architecture and combined them with Gothic revival and Neo-Classical styles favored in Britain.
    • Summarize the changes that took place in Indian architecture during the establishment of the British Empire