THE ASSYRIANS
                             
The land of the Assyrians originally consisted of a narrow strip on each
side of the River Tigris, in the near east. This area was settled around
3500BC and the Assyrian Empire lasted until 612BC.

About 1450BC, Assyria, long subject, first to Sumeria and then to Babylon
became ascendant. Under King Ashur-uballit(1380-1340BC), the foundations
of Assyrian military power was laid. Sumer and Akkad were conquered by
later kings. From the ascension of Adad-nirari II in 911BC, Assyria pursued
a triumphant course of expansion and conquest, culminating in the mastery
of Elam,mesopotamia,Syria,Palestine,parts of Arabia and finally Egypt in
671 BC. From this time the empire seems to have fallen into decay and was
eventually destroyed by the Medes, subsequently becoming a satrapy of Persia.