Assyria was the region located in the ancient Near East which, under the Neo-Assyrian Empire, reached from Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) through Asia Minor (modern Turkey) and down through Egypt. The empire began modestly at the city of Ashur (known as Subartu to the Sumerians), located in Mesopotamia north-east of Babylon, where merchants who traded in Anatolia became increasingly wealthy and that affluence allowed for the growth and prosperity of the city.
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Definition
Timeline
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c. 1900 BCEAshur, future capital of the Assyrian Empire, is founded.
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1813 BCE - 1791 BCEReign of Shamashi Adad I who drives out Amorites, secures border of Assyria, makes Ashur capital.
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1680 BCEHurrians occupy Assyria.
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1472 BCEMittani annexes Assyria.
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1400 BCEAssyria regains its independence.
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1307 BCE - 1275 BCEReign of Assyrian King Adad Nirari I, Mitanni becomes vassal state.
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c. 1250 BCEShalmaneser I of Assyria conquers the kingdom of Mitanni and defeats its allies.
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c. 1245 BCEBattle of Nihriya: Tukulti-Ninurta I of Assyria defeats Tudahalija IV of the Hittites.
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1244 BCE - 1208 BCEReign of Tukulti-Ninurta I, Hittites conquered.
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c. 1225 BCETukulti-Ninurta I sacks Babylon.
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1220 BCEBabylon is under Assyrian control.
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1115 BCE - 1076 BCEReign of Tiglath-Pileser I of Assyria who conquers Phoenicia and revitalizes the empire.
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912 BCE - 891 BCEReign of Adad Nirari II who revitalizes kingdom and secures borders.
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900 BCE - 800 BCESurviving sphinxes from the Assyrian civilization, usually placed as guards outside palaces.
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884 BCE - 859 BCERule of king Ashurnasirpal II of Assyria who moves capital from Ashur to Kalhu (Caleh).
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853 BCEBabylonian kings depend on Assyrian military support.
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841 BCEIsrael pays tribute to Assyria.
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824 BCE - 811 BCEReign of King Shamshi Adad V under whose reign civil war erupts.
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745 BCE - 727 BCEReign of Tiglath Pileser III who restructures government and military and expands empire.
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729 BCEBabylon is occupied by Assyrians.
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727 BCE - 722 BCEReign of Shalmaneser V.
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722 BCE - 705 BCEReign of Sargon II of Assyria. Capital moved from Kalhu to Dur-Sharrukin.
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722 BCE - 705 BCEPeak of the Assyrian Empire under the reign of Sargon II.
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722 BCEIsrael is conquered by Assyria.
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705 BCESennacherib moves capital from Dur-Sharrukin to Nineveh.
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705 BCE - 681 BCEReign of king Sennacherib of Assyria.
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701 BCEKing Sennacherib of Assyria sacks the city of Lachish in Judah but fails to take the capital Jerusalem.
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681 BCE - 669 BCEReign of Esarhaddon who expands the empire.
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c. 676 BCEScythians and Mannaens attack Assyria.
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671 BCESecond Egyptian Campaign, Assyrian army successfully captures Memphis and conquers Egypt.
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671 BCEEgypt is conquered by Assyria.
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668 BCE - 627 BCEReign of Ashurbanipal, the last great king of Assyria.
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668 BCEAshurbanipal succeeds his father as King of the Assyrian Empire.
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653 BCEEgypt expels Assyrians.
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648 BCEWar between Assyria and the Elamites.
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627 BCERevolts break out following the death of Ashurbanipal, empire begins to fail.
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627 BCEDeath of King Ashurbanipal.
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612 BCEThe great Assyrian cities of Ashur, Kalhu, and Nineveh are sacked and burned by the Medes, Babylonians, and Persian forces.
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612 BCEDownfall of the Assyrian empire.
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605 BCE - 549 BCEBabylon rules over the Assyrian regions.
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c. 600 BCEAssyrians control the Fertile Crescent.
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549 BCE - 330 BCEPersian rule in the region.
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332 BCE - 330 BCEAlexander the Great invades Syria, conquers the Persians.
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c. 312 BCE - 63 BCEDuration of the Seleucid Empire.
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115 CE - 116 CEThe Roman Empire conquers Mesopotamia.
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226 CE - 650 CESassanid Empire rules the region until the Arab Conquest of 7th century CE.
