Image Gallery
Assyrian Soldiers Engaging with Nubian Soldiers at Memphis
Detail of a large gypsum wall panel showing the Assyrian army attacking the Egyptian city of Memphis and commemorating the final victory of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal II over the Egyptian king Taharqa in 667 BCE. Panel 17, Room M of the North Palace at Nineveh, Northern Mesopotamia, modern-day Iraq.
On the left, long ladders lean against the fortress. Assyrian archers, spearmen, and soldiers (holding their shields) ascende and engage with the Nubian soldiers at the fortress's towers, who desperately try to defend their location. Some Nubian soldiers fall from the towers; a shield, a bow, and three arrows accompany one of the fallen soldiers. A large shield protects the Assyrian soldiers at the foot of one of the ladders. On the right, an Assyrian soldier sets fire to the gate while part of a scene showing Assyrian soldiers holding decapitated heads of defeated Nubian soldiers is shown below him.
The British Museum, London.
Questions & Answers
What is the Assyrian and Neo-Assyrian Empire most famous for?
- The Assyrian/Neo-Assyrian Empire is best remembered for its ruthlessness in warfare, their deportation policy that moved large segments of the population, and the efficiency of its bureaucracy. This emphasis has overshadowed their contribution to the arts and sciences.
What was the height of the Assyrian Empire?
- The Neo-Assyrian Empire is considered the height of the Assyrian Empire, between 912-612 BCE.
How was the Library of Ashurbanipal preserved?
- The Library of Ashurbanipal was preserved because the works were written on clay tablets which were baked, rather than burned, when Nineveh was sacked and destroyed in 612 BCE.
How did the Assyrian Empire fall?
- The Assyrian Empire fell in 612 BCE because it had grown too large to maintain, and there was no longer a strong king on the throne. The Medes and others revolted and destroyed the major Assyrian cities, toppling the empire.
