The Fall of Assur occurred when the first city and old capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire fell to a combined Median-Babylonian alliance. The sack of the city that followed utterly destroyed the city; it would never recover from the destruction^[3]. Assur (Assyrian: ܐܫܘܪ) also spelled Ashur, from Assyrian Aššur, was the capital of ancient Assyria. ... In probability theory and statistics, a median is a type of average that is described as the number dividing the higher half of a sample, a population, or a probability distribution, from the lower half. ... Babylonia was an ancient state in Iraq), combining the territories of Sumer and Akkad. ... Babylonia was a state in the south part of Mesopotamia (in modern Iraq), combining the territories of Sumer and Akkad. ... In the Middle Bronze Age Assyria was a region on the Upper Tigris river, named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur (Akkadian: ; Hebrew: , Aramaic: ). Later, as a nation and empire that came to control all of the Fertile Crescent, Egypt and much of Anatolia, the term Assyria... Nabopolassar (Akkadian:Nabû-apal-usur) was the first king (626-605 BC) of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. ... Sinsharishkun was one of the last kings of the Assyrian empire. ... Ashurnasirpal II, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, California Ashur-nasir-pal II (transliteration Ashshur-nâṣir-apli, meaning Ashur is guardian of the heir[1]) was king of Assyria from 884 BC-859 BC. Ashur-nasir-pal II succeeded his father, Tukulti-Ninurta II, in 884 BC. He conquered... King Jehu of Israel bows before Shalmanezer III of Assyria. ... Combatants Assyria An alliance of 12 Kings Commanders Shalmaneser III Hadadezer Strength Assyrian records claim 100,000 troops; modern scholars believe Assyrian forces were smaller 60,000 infantry, 2,450 chariots, 1,900 horsemen, 10,000 camel riders Kurkh stela of Shalmaneser that reports battle of Karkar The Battle of... Tiglath-Pileser III — stela from the walls of his palace (British Museum, London) Tiglath-Pileser III (Akkadian: Tukultī-Apil-Ešarra) was a prominent king of Assyria in the 8th century BC (ruled 745–727 BC)[1][2] and is widely regarded as the founder of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Sennacherib during his Babylonian war, relief from his palace in Nineveh Sennacherib (in Akkadian Śïn-ahhe-eriba (The moon god) Śïn has Replaced (Lost) Brothers for Me) was the son of Sargon II, whom he succeeded on the throne of Assyria (705 BC–681 BC). ... The hexagonal prism detailing the campaign of Sennacherib against Judah In 721 BCE, the Assyrian army captured the Israelite capital at Samaria and carried away the citizens of the northern kingdom into captivity. ... Combatants Elamites Babylonia Ellipi Assyria Commanders Mushezib-Marduk Sennacherib The Battle of Diyala River took place in 693 BC between the forces of the Assyrian empire and the Elamites of southern Persia. ... Esarhaddon (Greek and Biblical form; Akkadian Aššur-aha-iddina Ashur has given a brother to me), was a king of Assyria who reigned 681 BC-669 BC, the youngest son of Sennacherib and the Aramean queen Naqia (Zakitu), Sennacheribs second wife. ... Ashurbanipal, Assurbanipal or Sardanapal, in Akkadian Aššur-bāni-apli, (b. ... Combatants Twenty-sixth dynasty of Egypt Neo-Assyrian empire Commanders Unknown Unknown Strength Unknown Considerably fewer Casualties Unknown Unknown The Fall of Ashdod refers to the successful Egyptian assault on the city of Ashdod in Palestine in c. ... Combatants Assyria Elam Commanders King Assurbanipal of Assyria King Teumann of Elam (until death in 655 BC) Strength Unknown Unknown, presumed equal at first before declining Casualties Unknown King Teumann, many other civilians and soldiers The Battle of Susa was a battle involving Assyrians and Elamites. ... Battle of Arrapha took place in 616 B.C. between the Assyrian forces and the Babylonias. ... Combatants Egypt Assyria Babylonia Commanders Necho II Nebuchadrezzar II The Battle of Carchemish was fought between an allied army of Egyptians and Assyrians and the Babylonian army. ...

Background

Ever since the end of Ashurbaniapl's reign (and some specualte years before) the Neo-Assyrian Empire was in exposed and critical position; revolts in Babylon and in the Levant coupled with Egyptian and Median invasions proved too much for an empire torn with civil war. In 616 BC, the Babylonians established their de facto independence.

Assault on the city

In 615 BC, the Medians and Babylonians tried to attack Nineveh. However, the Babylonians suffered a serious defeat there, so Nabopolosaur took his Babylonian army and instead attacked Assur. The Medians under Cyaxares joined forces with the Babylonias and began a terrible siege of Assur^[4]. Much of what was left of the Assyrian army was in Nineveh, unable to assist. Finally, after savage hand-to-hand combat (many skulls and skeletons were later found) it appears that the city was finally taken in 612 B.C. , For other uses, see Nineveh (disambiguation). ...

Destruction of Assur

Babylon had suffered numerous times under Assyria; the extermination of the population of Assur was in retribution of past Assyrian interferences. Nabopolosaur was a Chaldean; one of many tribes which made Babylon a cancer to the Assyrian Empire.

Aftermath

With Assur fallen, Nineveh was next falling in 612 B.C. as well. There after the Assyrian army was spent and nothing of what it use to be.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Healy, Mark (1991). The Ancient Assyrians. New York: Osprey, p. 55. 
2. ^ Healy, Mark (1991). The Ancient Assyrians. New York: Osprey, p. 6. 
3. ^ Healy, Mark (1991). The Ancient Assyrians. New York: Osprey, p. 57. 
4. ^ Grant, R.G. (2005). Battle a Visual Journey Through 5000 Years of Combat. London: Dorling Kindersley, p. 18.