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History Unplugged Podcast

Why Do We Consider Assyria The Most Sadistically Violent Empire When Oftentimes It Wasn't?

History Unplugged Podcast

History Unplugged

Society & Culture, History

4.23.7K Ratings

🗓️ 16 May 2023

⏱️ 68 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

At its height in 660 BCE, the kingdom of Assyria stretched from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. It was the first empire the world had ever seen. Assyria’s wide-ranging conquests have long been known from the Hebrew Bible and later Greek accounts (and its reputation for unspeakable cruelty, with images of Assyrians skinning its enemies alive carved into stone on an Assyrian royal palace). But nearly two centuries of research now permit a rich picture of the Assyrians and their empire beyond the battlefield: their vast libraries and monumental sculptures, their elaborate trade and information networks, and the crucial role played by royal women. Today’s guest is Eckart Frahm, author of “Assyria: The Rise and Fall of the World’s First Empire.” Using archaeological research, along with the study of tens of thousands of cuneiform texts, researchers have been able to construct a more accurate depiction of Assyrian life, revealing the empire’s enduring impact on global civilization. Frahm shows how despite its war-prone image, Assyria proved innovative in the realms of architecture, arts, technology, and diplomacy. Readers will learn about the elaborate “Royal Road” that enabled trade and communication over vast distances, how Assyrian scholars created the first universal library, and about the impact of plagues and climate change on the empire’s fortunes.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Scott here with another episode of the History Unplugged podcast.

0:07.9

In 671 BC, Assyria became the undisputed greatest power in the Middle East.

0:13.0

In that year King SR had marched through Western Asia,

0:15.8

crossed the Sinai Peninsula and entered Egypt.

0:18.4

Pharaoh Tahrqa was able to escape, but his wife, Crown Prince,

0:22.0

many of his Heronwomen were captured.

0:23.8

The Seriop plundered Egypt and brought its wealth back to the capital

0:27.2

on the Tigris River in North East Iraq.

0:29.1

As Erhadin said, I achieved victory over the rulers of the four quarters of the world

0:33.2

and sprinkled a venom of death over all my enemies.

0:36.1

Now, Assyria was no stranger to terrorizing its enemies and its neighbors.

0:40.0

In its royal palaces, it carved out scenes of torturing its enemies,

0:44.2

skidding them alive.

0:45.3

The created tablets containing every single punishment that Assyrians carried out,

0:49.6

cutting off limbs, gouging out eyes,

0:51.5

letting everyone know what would happen if they defied Assyria.

0:54.5

But were they really the cruelest empire of their day?

0:57.4

Or was this just a psychological warfare campaign?

1:00.0

At the same time in history Assyria created the world's first universal library,

1:04.3

building palaces and parks with exotic plants throughout Mesopotamia,

1:08.8

ruling over an ethnically diverse mix of people from dozens of foreign lands.

1:12.5

Today's episode will look at the 1400 year legacy of Assyria.

...

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