Persians Vs Assyrians

In the Bronze Age the Assyrians are an established military and commercial power. However, they are not spared in the fall of states around 1200 B.C. Those who survive, retain approximately 5000 square miles of land, and develop an aggressive imperialist outlook. Because of this, the Assyrians conquer many states and become the first empire to rule the two great river valley’s, the Nile and the Tigris-Euphrates. Persia is also known as a great military and political power. Like the Assyrians they hold imperialist ideologies, and set out to conquer neighboring empires, like Egypt, Libya, and much of western and central Asia. Both the Assyrians and the Persians are known for their massive armies, which rely heavily on a cavalry, rather than
Even those who surrender to the Assyrians are not immune to their brutality, and many tribes are essentially erased from history. Conversely, Persians demonstrate tolerance towards those they conquer. For example, Cyrus specifically prohibits his armies from terrorizing the Babylonians after he conquers them. A central difference between the Persians and the Assyrians is their religious beliefs. The Assyrians are polytheists whose main god, Ashur, is a god of war. The Persians adopt Zoroastrianism, which rejects violent gods and religious practices, like human sacrifice. Zoroastrianism acknowledges a conflict between good and evil. It is an inward looking religion that seeks truth. The god Ashur on the other hand, “appears [to be] a mere personification of the interests of Assyria as a political entity…(Britannica) The success of Assyrian rule is attributed, in part, to the fact that other empires are comparatively weak at the time. Egypt, for example is under attack, and at one point subject to Libyan mercenaries. The Assyrians eventually conquer Egypt, but are shortly thereafter defeated. The fact that Assyrian subjects do not lament over this defeat, perhaps confirms Assyrian
Although Persia borrows many of its practices from the Assyrian’s, there are essential differences in ideologies between the two. Because the Assyrians suffer during the great fall of states, maybe they feel the need for excessive brutality, to instill fear and secure their power. Their main goal seems to be conquest, and their primary god, Ashur supports this pursuit. This difference in religious ideology between Persia and the Assyrians plays a large role in the more successful reign of the Persians. Zoroastrianism promotes ethical practices, tolerance, and truth. Although they were successful warriors, once they conquer, they rule with kindness, rather than an iron fist. Presumably, this creates support from the people, rather than mere submission out of