Osprey Elite 39 : The Ancient Assyrians

For the greater part of the period from the end of the 10th century to the 7th century BC, the Ancient Near East was dominated by the dynamic military power of Assyria. At the zenith of its rule Assyria could lay claim to an empire that stretched from Egypt in the west to the borders of Iran in the east and encompassed for the first time in history, within the realm of a single imperial domain, the whole of the 'Fertile Crescent'. Yet within fifty years of its maximum expansion this empire had collapsed with remarkable rapidity - a consequence of over-extension and the material exhaustion attendant upon the defence of far-flung territories against external enemies, the suppression of internal revolts, and resurgent civil war as contenders for the imperial power vied for the throne of Assyria. The empire provided a model for others to follow. The rise of the Neo-Babylonian Empire under Nebachadnezzar II and its Persian successors must be seen as conscious attempts by these powers, through their own rule over the Near East, to emulate Assyria's example and inherit her imperial mantle. Mark Healy, covers the history of the Assyrians from their ancient beginnings to the eventual fall of the city of Nineveh accompanied by 12 full page colour plates by Angus McBride.

Contents

• Introduction
• The Land of Ashur
• The Neo-Assyrian Empire
• The Eclipse of Assyria
• The Great Reformer - Tiglath-Pileser III
• The Assyrian Army
• 'Nineveh is Laid Waste'
• The Plates