Saturday, February 15, 2014

What similarities do we find in the Assyrian and Persian Empires?

A notable similarity between the Assyrians and Persians was in their military. The two empires had strong military forces that propelled them to power. The Assyrian army was known for conquering wealthy cities. Similarly, the Persian Empire under the rule of Cyrus the Great conquered various cities such as Babylon. The two empires participated in many battles to expand their territories.
On the other hand, the two empires practiced agriculture. Persian agriculture was characterized by irrigation systems. The Persians made tunnel systems to find water for their crops and also used canals. The Assyrian Empire practiced agriculture as well and grew crops such as millet and wheat. Just like the Persians, the Assyrians used canals for irrigation. Both the Assyrian and Persian Empires practiced polytheism.
http://www.san.beck.org/EC6-Assyria.html


It should not be surprising that there were many similarities between the Assyrian and the Persian Empires. In many ways, the Persians were inheritors of the Assyrian legacy. As such, they continued many of the practices and functions of the previous empire, although they did institute their own as well.
Both empires were known for their strong and efficient militaries. Territorial conquest was important in both empires and their militaries incorporated soldiers from all parts of their territories. More specifically, both empires made use of archers who were well trained and made up a large cohort of any fighting force. This strong military was essential. There were few natural barriers in their territories that they could rely on for defense and being located in the fertile crescent and the junction of three continents made their territory covetable by others.
Since they occupied much of the same land, both the Persians and the Assyrians practiced similar agricultural techniques. They employed extensive and complex irrigation systems which made use of the water from the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. They both cultivated large amounts of grains which would be stored in times of plenty in anticipation of years of famine. As such, they were able to provide a reliable food source to a large population.
Both the Persians and the Assyrians were avid record keepers. Archaeologists have found countless accounts written in clay tablets from both empires recording everything from mundane business transactions to the legendary exploits of their kings and warriors.
http://brfencing.org/hist643/Assyria%20&%20Persia.html


The Persians and Assyrians were both large empires in the Middle East from the Iron Age world. Both kingdoms boasted powerful militaries that protected their vast holdings and expanded their borders. The empires were not protected by natural barriers so a strong military was a necessity. Despite this geographical shortcoming, the empires utilized arable land, both being located in the fertile crescent around two rivers.
The two empires were both ruled by monarchs. The empires employed organized bureaucratic systems to enforce laws and collect taxes. Both empires are mentioned in the Old Testament, or Torah as having conquered the Hebrews, although the Persians are painted in a more positive vein in the scriptures. While both empires were known for their decisive military strength, both treated their new subjects with tolerance as long as the new citizens paid their taxes.
https://www.ancient.eu/Achaemenid_Empire/

https://www.ancient.eu/Neo-Assyrian_Empire/

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