endeavoured to worship 1 god 10 commandments becomes basis for western law foundation for christianity and islam asia minor hittite empire indo-european mesopotamia to syria and palestine invaded old babylonian empire 1900-1600BC controlled after 1300BC egyptians called them barbarians - war 1300-1200BC great merchants and traders law much more lenient - far fewer capital offenses used iron weapons - helped init iron age adpoted mesopotamian religion oldest preserved indo-european language battle of kadesh first peace treaty 1280BC, first in world history ramesses II and hattusilis III phoenicians 1200-800BC tyre, sidon, byblos traders and sailors tyrian purple (ink/dye) setup colonies in north africa, sicily, and spain sailed to england invented syllabic alphabet assyrian empire civ of blood and conquest backwater of sumerian and babylon emerged 1100 BC - tiglath pileser I pure conquest dominated for 200 years, 800-600BC based in ninevah ashurbanipal one of last assyrian kings (668-627BC) sennacherib attacked judah took hebrews of israel from their homeland (10 lost tribes) one of first professional armies siege, cavalry, charioteering organization shock tactics - 30 miles in a day invented ways to cross rivers, mountains, deserts infamous brutality gov't provincial governors speedy communication persians and romans learned from this absorbed mesopotamian culture and phoenicia and most of asia minor ashurbanipal died in 626BC empire died with him babylonians, scythinas(newly arrived horsemen, good warriors, women fought as well), and medes(more indoeuropeans that settled in persia) joined in 612BC nineveh sacked and destroyed assyria ceased to exist too many enemies divide and conquer only works for so long heavy reliance on kingship little emphasis on cultural, artistic, pursuit of knowledge neo-babylon nabopolasar(625-605BC) defeated assyrians nebuchadnezzar II (605-562BC) rebuilt babylon destroyed jerusalem 586BC babylonian captivity hanging gardens tower of babylon the ishtar gate persia iranians are not arabs, they are persians present day iran indo-european aaryans, not semitic invaded feritile crescent 549BC babylon surrendered in 538BC (ended neo-babylon) hebrews went home cyrus the great did this stuff appealed to the people for popularity in charter of the rights of nations here to serve the people hebrews called him anointed of the lord hellenes called him law-giver son took egypt and then committed suicide persia expands ALOT darius I the great (521-484BC) absolute and divine - stabilized empire quelled rebellion at miletus, learned that athenians helped sent best general mardonius to pelloponesus religion zoroastrianism founded by zarathushtra - zoroaster in greek 1500-1000BC dualistic ahura-mazda - good ahriman - evil beliefs surrounding god and satan, soul, heaven, hell, savior, resurrection, final judgement great impact on judaism, christianity, other later relitions perhaps 1st monotheistic religion government strong nobility advised, fought highly trained, professional satrapies - governors silver coinage - shekel conquered asia minor 515BC - city states led by miletus revolted from greece, hellenes, revolt put down revolted again and joined persia minoan civilization 2000-1450 BC maritime empire - knossos 1st seaborne empire egyptian colonists? sophisticated bureaucracy no walls around cities little evidence of military writing - linear A later version - linear B - early form of greek quickly disappeared - theran eruption, possibly caused tsunamis 1628 BC - plato's atlantis? mycenaeans flourished 1600-1100 BC used linear B - minoan relationship iliad and odyssey by homer war against troy - adventures of odysseus basis for greek religion, morals, history little else survived from mycenaeans early greece mycenaeans disappears around 1100 BC 1100-700BC greek dark ages 600-300 BC greek culture blazed athens, sparta, thebes, corinth emerged 8th-6th centuries BC 750-500BC greek migration, span, italy, sicily, cyprus, black sea classical greece battle of marathon