Fall of Assur

Infobox Military Conflict


caption=
conflict=Fall of Assur
partof=|date= 614 BC
place=Assur
result=Median & Babylonian victory
combatant1=Babylonia
Media
combatant2=Assyria
commander1=Nabopolassar
Cyaxares
commander2=Sin-Shar-Ishkuncite book|last=Healy|first=Mark|title=The Ancient Assyrians|location=New York|publisher= Osprey|year=1991|pages=p. 6]
strength1=Unknown
strength2=Unknown
casualties1=Unknown
casualties2=Extermination of the citycite book|last=Healy|first=Mark|title=The Ancient Assyrians|location=New York|publisher= Osprey|year=1991|pages=p. 55]

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 destructioncite book|last=Healy|first=Mark|title=The Ancient Assyrians|location=New York|publisher= Osprey|year=1991|pages=p. 57] .

Background

Ever since the end of Ashurbanipal'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 Nabopolassar took his Babylonian army and instead attacked Assur. The Medians under Cyaxares joined forces with the Babylonian's and began a terrible siege of Assurcite book|last=Grant|first=R.G.|title=Battle a Visual Journey Through 5000 Years of Combat|location=London|publisher=Dorling Kindersley|year=2005|pages=p. 18] . 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.

References