Assyria Timeline

Definition

Assyria was the region located in the ancient Near East which, under the Neo-Assyrian Empire, reached from Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) through Asia Minor (modern Turkey) and down through Egypt. The empire began modestly at the city of Ashur (known as Subartu to the Sumerians), located in Mesopotamia north-east of Babylon, where merchants who traded in Anatolia became increasingly wealthy and that affluence allowed for the growth and prosperity of the city.

More about: Assyria

Timeline

1900 BCE
Ashur, capial of Assyria, is founded.
1813 BCE - 1791 BCE
Reign of Shamashi Adad I who drives out Amorites, secures border of Assyria, makes Ashur capital.
1680 BCE
Hurrians occupy Assyria.
1472 BCE
Mittani annexes Assyria.
1400 BCE
Assyria regains its independence.
1307 BCE - 1275 BCE
Reign of Assyrian King Adad Nirari I, Mitanni becomes vassal state.
c. 1250 BCE
Shalmaneser I of Assyria conquers the kingdom of Mitanni and defeats its allies.
c. 1245 BCE
Battle of Nihriya: Tukulti-Ninurta I of Assyria defeats Tudahalija IV of the Hittites.
1244 BCE - 1208 BCE
Reign of Tukulti-Ninurta I, Hittites conquered.
c. 1225 BCE
Tukulti-Ninurta I sacks Babylon.
1220 BCE
Babylon is under Assyrian control.
1115 BCE - 1076 BCE
Reign of Tiglath-Pileser I of Assyria who conquers Phoenicia and revitalizes the empire.
912 BCE - 891 BCE
Reign of Adad Nirari II who revitalizes kingdom and secures borders.
900 BCE - 800 BCE
Surviving sphinxes from the Assyrian civilization, usually placed as guards outside palaces.
884 BCE - 859 BCE
Rule of king Ashurnasirpal II of Assyria who moves capital from Ashur to Kalhu (Caleh).
853 BCE
Babylonian kings depend on Assyrian military support.
841 BCE
Israel pays tribute to Assyria.
824 BCE - 811 BCE
Reign of King Shamshi Adad V under whose reign civil war erupts.
745 BCE - 727 BCE
Reign of Tiglath Pileser III who restructures government and military and expands empire.
729 BCE
Babylon is occupied by Assyrians.
727 BCE - 722 BCE
Reign of Shalmaneser V.
722 BCE - 705 BCE
Reign of Sargon II of Assyria. Capital moved from Kalhu to Dur-Sharrukin.
722 BCE - 705 BCE
Peak of the Assyrian empire under the reign of Sargon II.
722 BCE
Israel is conquered by Assyria.
705 BCE
Sennacherib moves capital from Dur-Sharrukin to Nineveh.
705 BCE - 681 BCE
Reign of king Sennacherib of Assyria.
701 BCE
King Sennacherib of Assyria sacks the city of Lachish in Judah but fails to take the capital Jerusalem.
681 BCE - 669 BCE
Reign of Esarhaddon who expands the empire.
c. 676 BCE
Scythians and Mannaens attack Assyria.
671 BCE
Second Egyptian Campaign, Assyrian army successfully captures Memphis and conquers Egypt.
671 BCE
Egypt is conquered by Assyria.
668 BCE - 627 BCE
Reign of Ashurbanipal, the last great king of Assyria.
668 BCE
Ashurbanipal succeeds his father as King of the Assyrian Empire.
653 BCE
Egypt expels Assyrians.
648 BCE
War between Assyria and the Elamites.
627 BCE
Revolts break out following the death of Ashurbanipal, empire begins to fail.
627 BCE
Death of King Ashurbanipal.
612 BCE
The great Assyrian cities of Ashur, Kalhu, and Nineveh are sacked and burned by the Medes, Babylonians, and Persian forces.
612 BCE
Downfall of the Assyrian empire.
605 BCE - 549 BCE
Babylon rules over the Assyrian regions.
c. 600 BCE
Assyrians control the Fertile Crescent.
549 BCE - 330 BCE
Persian rule in the region.
332 BCE - 330 BCE
Alexander the Great invades Syria, conquers the Persians.
c. 312 BCE - 63 BCE
Duration of the Seleucid Empire.
115 CE - 116 CE
The Roman Empire conquers Mesopotamia.
226 CE - 650 CE
Sassanid Empire rules the region until the Arab Conquest of 7th century CE.