TOWARDS 883-859 BC. AD
Reign of King Ashurnasirpal II:
The Assyrian king Assournasirpal II builds the city of Nimroud which becomes the capital of Assyria. Assyrian kings give themselves titles such as “King of the Universe ” because they believe themselves chosen by the gods to reign over Assyria and conquer new lands.
Assyrians are cruel conquerors:
The peoples of the territories conquered by the Assyrian civilization must pay heavy tribute to the king. Anyone who refuses is brutally punished. The rebel cities are attacked and destroyed, the houses and the orchards are set on fire, the population is killed, captured or tortured to death. Often, scribes count the severed heads of the inhabitants killed. The Assyrians thus hope to prevent rebellions from other cities, but this only reinforces their unpopularity.
TOWARDS 814 B.C. AD
The Phoenicians build Carthage:
Carthage is located in northern Africa and is the most famous trading post of the Phoenicians.
AROUND 730 B.C. AD
The Assyrians annex Babylon to their empire.
EN 722 BC. AD
Assyrians invade Israel:
While the Assyrians have virtually no rivals left, King Shalmaneser V invades and destroys the kingdom of Israel. Later the Israelites revolt but many are taken as slaves to Assyria.
BETWEEN 704 AND 681 BC. AD
Nineveh:
The Assyrian king Sennacherib and the queen give its splendor to the city of Nineveh. They bask in the palace and gardens bordered by lush vegetation. They are served by many servants who bring them fruits, cakes, honey and incense. The sofas and furniture are decorated with gold and ivory.
TOWARDS 701 B.C. AD
Assyrians conquer Phenicia:
However Carthage still remained a powerful city and the Phoenician way of life still existed for 200 years.
ABOUT 700-600 BC. AD
The Persians and the Medes found 2 kingdoms:
The Persians and the Medes unite and found Media in the north and Persia in the south.
Assyrians invade Egypt:
The Assyrians plunder Thebes and its great temples. They settle in Memphis and repel the Kushites in Nubia. Egyptians are deeply hurt by this invasion.
EN 689 BC. AD
Assyrians attack Babylon:
The Assyrians completely destroy the city despite the rebellion of the Babylonians.
BETWEEN 668 AND 627 BC. AD
Reign of King Ashurbanipal:
King Ashurbanipal is the last great Assyrian king. At this time, the capital was already moved to Nineveh.
TOWARDS 663 B.C. AD
The Assyrian Empire is at its peak:
The Assyrian Empire grows too large to control and uprisings begin to tear it apart. This is the decline of the Assyrian civilization.
Learn more about the Late Period in Egypt and the Egyptians during antiquity.