The Stomach-Churning Punishments Of The Assyrian Empire

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Of all the warlike peoples of history, few have earned such a brutal reputation as the Assyrians. Hailing from part of Mesopotamia, roughly in modern-day Iraq, the Assyrians forged a series of empires that were some of the great powers of the ancient world. The greatest of these empires was the Neo-Assyrian Empire which existed from the late 10th to late 7th centuries BC. In its day, it was the largest empire the world had yet seen, stretching from Egypt to Syria, from the Levant back into Mesopotamia.

Today, we explore the brutal punishments inflicted on enemies, rebels, and criminals in order to build and sustain this mighty empire, and learn why the Assyrians have their fearsome reputation.

Conquest

Like many other ancient powers, the Bronze Age collapse of the 12th and 11th centuries led to a decline in the power of the long-standing Assyrian state. It was not until the reign of King Adad Nirari (~912-891 BC) that Assyria bounced back in what modern historians call the Neo-Assyrian Empire. Mirari reconquered many of the lands once lost, including Babylon, but it was his successors, especially Ashurnasirpal II (884-859 BC) who turned Assyria into a superpower. Ashurnasirpal extended Assyrian power into the Levant and Canaan. Other great kings like Tiglath-pilesar III and Esarhaddon would conquer Syria and even Egypt for a time.

These conquests required significant military resources. The armies of Assyria were called the “Hosts of the God Assur”, named after Assyria’s patron deity, who also gave his name to the traditional Assyrian capital of Assur. These armies were comprised of foot soldiers, archers, charioteers, and advanced siege equipment that made Assyria the deadliest military force the world had yet seen. The Assyrian army crushed countless foes on the battlefield or slaughtered them in the streets of the cities they conquered.

Inevitably these conquests involved massacres, looting, rape, executions, and slavery, as with all ancient empires. But why are the Assyrians seen as uniquely brutal compared to other empires? Monuments and inscriptions from the time show the Assyrians inflicting and celebrating unusually horrific punishments that have earned them a sinister reputation.

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Scriptwriter: Nathan Hewitt

Video Editor & Motion Graphics: Kanishka

Voice-over Artist: Stephen Vox

Music: Motionarray.com & epidemic music

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