The Assyrian Empire Essay, Research Paper

THE ASSYRIAN EMPIRE

Assyrian civilisation was focused around its powerful male monarch with a militaristic hierarchy supported by functionaries, craftsmans, husbandmans, and slaves. The male monarch was main justice, lawgiver, commander-in-chief of the ground forces, and caput of the faith, although he was non deified himself. Established traditions and imposts stabilized the civilization and the male monarch. The lone revolutions in Assyrian history were by powerful generals or castle functionaries, as the societal hierarchy was ne’er earnestly challenged. Governors and priests, in fact any functionary, could be straight ordered by the male monarch. Kings and functionaries need non be literate, because they all were assisted by Scribes. Offices and professions tended to be familial, or assignments were based on backing. Aramaeans did lift to high places, but the procedure took coevalss.

Social categories were stiffly determined by one & # 8217 ; s place in the hierarchy. Prisoners in war and debitors were made slaves, though the latter could get married a free individual, attest in tribunal, behavior concern, and ain belongings. Womans were wholly dependent on their male dealingss, raised the kids and cared for the place, and were non even allowed to tie in with males who were non relations. If a adult male lived with a widow for two old ages they were considered married. Adultery could be punished by the hubby killing both or mangling the married woman and emasculating her lover ; though if he did non penalize the married woman, the lover could non be punished either. Homosexuality, which was tolerated in Babylon, was punished by the Assyrians. The male monarch maintained a hareem of adult females and castrates. Foreign princes and Lords were besides kept in the Assyrian tribunal to guarantee pacts.

Laws operated chiefly by the determinations of the male monarch and functionaries based on case in points. Contracts were made on tablets. Prostitution was allowed but non common ; inebriation was discouraged ; larceny was limited ; and force and slaying were normally settled by private blood feud. A few people were imprisoned but normally for political grounds. The economic system was pr

imarily based on agribusiness supplemented by trades, trade, and testimonial and loot from war, though the motion of wealth from the fringe of the imperium to the centre tended to do wretchedness and rebellions. All land was considered the belongings of the God as represented by the male monarch, but in fact temples, affluent Godheads, and private persons did ain land or held it in exchange for executing some service to the province.

In war the Assyrians excelled in developing siege engines, and legion Equus caballuss were requisitioned for their chariots and horse. Cities were persuaded to subject, and inordinate inhuman treatment of those who resisted was calculated to do others subject more readily. As the imperium grew, more foreign military personnels filled the ranks of the ground forces. Hunting of king of beastss, wild bulls, and elephants was so popular that elephants became nonextant in the country.

Most of the Gods were adopted from the Babylonians except for Ashur, the supreme God. Ishtar was the lone goddess if one does non number the consorts of the Gods, but she excessively could be warlike. The usage of divination for counsel sing the hereafter was used extensively by Assyrian male monarchs. Astrological uranologists made elaborate observations and attempted to correlate human events with heavenly marks. Their calendar became rather accurate when they figured out they could add seven lunar periods every 19 old ages ; they could foretell occultations. Astrology still allowed for Godhead and human enterprise.

Medical theory was based chiefly on the belief that disease was a penalty inflicted by the Gods on worlds for their wickednesss, although dust, soil, nutrient and drink, every bit good as contagious disease were taken into consideration. Physicians attempted to name the symptoms and might order drugs, cataplasms, clyster, or a alteration in diet. Libraries of cuneiform tablets were kept, and Ashurbanipal in peculiar gave instructions to garner any tablet that could be found.

Assyrian society was reasonably stable itself, but continued conquest and the imperial development of other peoples finally brought about its inevitable reaction.

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