The ''Pax Assyriaca'' (
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
for "Assyrian peace") was a relatively long period of peace in the
Neo-Assyrian Empire
The Neo-Assyrian Empire was the fourth and penultimate stage of ancient Assyrian history and the final and greatest phase of Assyria as an independent state. Beginning with the accession of Adad-nirari II in 911 BC, the Neo-Assyrian Empire grew t ...
during the 7th century (c. 700–630/620 BC).
[Craig M. White, ''In Search of…the Great German Nation: Origins and Destiny'' (Sydney: AuthorHouse, 2007), 71.] The term was coined in parallel to ''
Pax Romana
The Pax Romana (Latin for 'Roman peace') is a roughly 200-year-long timespan of Roman history which is identified as a period and as a golden age of increased as well as sustained Roman imperialism, relative peace and order, prosperous stabilit ...
''. The
Neo Assyrian Empire is notorious for its use of brute force to expand and maintain an empire after the Dark Ages of around 911–600 BC.
However, their rule brought around a time period known as the ''Pax Assyriaca'' (700–620 BC). During this time the Neo Assyrian Empire achieved its highest point of success, ranging from Egypt to the West, to the
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The bod ...
in the East, and most of the Central Mediterranean area. The economic, political, ideological, and militant development during this period had lasting effects on the events even after the demise of the Assyrian Empire.
Beginnings of the ''Pax Assyriaca''
The greatest moments of Assyrian expansion occurred during the rule of
Tiglath-pileser III
Tiglath-Pileser III ( Neo-Assyrian cuneiform: , meaning "my trust belongs to the son of Ešarra"), was the king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire from 745 BC to his death in 727. One of the most prominent and historically significant Assyrian kings, T ...
(744–727 BC), who expanded into
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the ...
,
Syria,
Anatolia
Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The ...
, and
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
.
His reforms of the Assyrian empire maximized military and political efficiency allowing him to establish the Neo Assyrian Empire. He centralized power by weakening Assyrian officials and appointed governors to distribute the already small portion of power left within the empire.
He also instituted a larger army with use of tribute soldiers and conquered peoples.
After his conquests and those of his sons,
Shalmaneser V
Shalmaneser V (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform: , meaning "Salmānu is foremost"; Biblical Hebrew: ) was the king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire from the death of his father Tiglath-Pileser III in 727 BC to his deposition and death in 722 BC. Though Shalmane ...
and
Sargon II in
Anatolia
Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The ...
and
Levant
The Levant () is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest sense, which is in use today in archaeology and other cultural contexts, it is ...
, the empire entered a stage of frontier fortification and stabilization known as the ''Pax Assyriaca''.
Considering the method of expansion used by the Neo Assyrians of military conquest and demands of tribute of their conquered lands paints the Neo Assyrians in a rather negative light. However, expanding over a large territory it provided stability in power that was not seen previously since many of the local leaders were fighting over that power. With the end of the power struggle in the region, the focus was shifted to the expansion of the economy and general empire building. Neo Assyria held many
vassal states
A vassal state is any state that has a mutual obligation to a superior state or empire, in a status similar to that of a vassal in the feudal system in medieval Europe. Vassal states were common among the empires of the Near East, dating back to t ...
that paid
tribute
A tribute (; from Latin ''tributum'', "contribution") is wealth, often in kind, that a party gives to another as a sign of submission, allegiance or respect. Various ancient states exacted tribute from the rulers of land which the state conqu ...
to the empire and the more productive and lucrative the states were, the higher the tribute that was paid. Therefore, Assyria found it in its best interest to support the development of not only their empire but those around them.
Economic development
Though the period is named the "Assyrian Peace" there was still some unrest within the empire with many revolts and uprisings and continuation of military expansion. However, the period was noticeably more peaceful and prosperous considering that power was much more stabilized and centralized than ever before under this one political entity. The development of
Ekron
Ekron (Philistine: 𐤏𐤒𐤓𐤍 ''*ʿAqārān'', he, עֶקְרוֹן, translit=ʿEqrōn, ar, عقرون), in the Hellenistic period known as Accaron ( grc-gre, Ακκαρων, Akkarōn}) was a Philistine city, one of the five cities o ...
, one of the five
Philistine
The Philistines ( he, פְּלִשְׁתִּים, Pəlīštīm; Koine Greek (LXX): Φυλιστιείμ, romanized: ''Phulistieím'') were an ancient people who lived on the south coast of Canaan from the 12th century BC until 604 BC, when ...
pentapolis
A pentapolis (from Greek ''penta-'', 'five' and ''polis'', 'city') is a geographic and/or institutional grouping of five cities. Cities in the ancient world probably formed such groups for political, commercial and military reasons, as happened ...
, is a testament to the result of the development that was made possible by the ''Pax Assyriaca''. Ekron Grew prosperous during the ''Pax Assyriaca'' after 200 years of decline. The city grew nearly 8 times in size and experienced vast economic expansion. Ekron was the center of production of
olive oil
Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: f ...
for the empire during this period and a large producer of textiles which can be seen with the discoveries of looms and olive oil installments in the area. With findings of more than 115 olive oil installments, Ekron is estimated to produce around 1000 tons of olive oil annually. However, there is no evidence that there was any of either product before the period indicating that the economic growth was caused by the ''Pax Assyriaca''. The large hordes of silver found in excavated Ekron palaces that were constructed by the elite show the extent of the economic prosperity that Ekron was experiencing. The construction of this zone of elites indicates the clear distinction between the higher and lower classes was emerging due to the influx of wealth to those who were in control of the production and management of Ekron's politics and economy. Even after the withdrawal of the Assyrians, the city continued to prosper, indicating the long-lasting effects of the ''Pax Assyriaca'' on cities such as Ekron.
The Assyrian relationship with the
Phoenicians
Phoenicia () was an ancient Semitic-speaking peoples, ancient thalassocracy, thalassocratic civilization originating in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily located in modern Lebanon. The territory of the Phoenician city-st ...
during this period further contributed to the economic development of Neo Assyria. Phoenicia was another vassal state that paid tribute to the Neo Assyrians. As a major economic factor in the area, the Phoenicians conducted trade within the empire bringing wine, lumber, ivory, metals, and ideas thanks to the extensive maritime network they had established.
Becoming a major source of resources, Phoenicians had to find new means in order to supply the large demand of the large Assyrian Empire resulting in Phoenician expansion in order to obtain colonies to gain more resources.
The Phoenicians were instrumental in the trade of iron throughout the Mediterranean as they controlled three iron-producing regions:
Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
,
Cilicia
Cilicia (); el, Κιλικία, ''Kilikía''; Middle Persian: ''klkyʾy'' (''Klikiyā''); Parthian: ''kylkyʾ'' (''Kilikiyā''); tr, Kilikya). is a geographical region in southern Anatolia in Turkey, extending inland from the northeastern coa ...
, and
Crete
Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...
.
Due to their extensive trade networks, the Phoenicians were able to connect Greece and Mesopotamia in trade of not only goods but ideas that would result in the spread of the
Assyrian alphabet, art, and architecture towards the west.
Political and military development
During the rule of
Tigleth-pileser III, power within the Assyrian Empire was centralized as high-ranking officials lost their powers. Generals had carried out personal conquests without the consultation of the king, but with the implementations on the reforms, those officials were stripped of power. Governors were implemented to rule over small provinces in order to spread out whatever power the king himself didn't hold in order to prevent dynastic rule within the provinces. Tiglath-pileser also officially implemented the use of foreigners within his army. He used the people he conquered to expand his army and resulted in addition of cavalry and
chariots
A chariot is a type of cart driven by a charioteer, usually using horses to provide rapid motive power. The oldest known chariots have been found in burials of the Sintashta culture in modern-day Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, dated to c. 2000  ...
. Foreign soldiers were the army's infantry light infantry while native Assyrians were the cavalry and chariots.
The Assyrians were rarely directly involved politically among their vassal states and in some parts of their empire. There is no evidence that shows a demand for religious participation at the local level or a demand for the use of
Assyrian language. Payment of tribute and loyalty to the king were the only real requirements on the local level. The rather weak political system used by the Assyrians made it hard for the empire to be held together for long without revolt and uprising and would make it easier for an opposing force to remove an empire that was so disconnected from its peoples.
Revolts and end of the ''Pax Assyriaca''
Though it may have been called the "Assyrian Peace", Neo Assyria dealt with revolts and had further military expansion of its kingdom during this period. Babylon had multiple uprisings throughout its time under the Neo Assyrians until it was eventually destroyed by
Sennacherib
Sennacherib (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform: or , meaning " Sîn has replaced the brothers") was the king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire from the death of his father Sargon II in 705BC to his own death in 681BC. The second king of the Sargonid dynast ...
in 689 BC to prevent it from rebelling again. It was, however, rebuilt by his son
Esarhaddon
Esarhaddon, also spelled Essarhaddon, Assarhaddon and Ashurhaddon (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform: , also , meaning " Ashur has given me a brother"; Biblical Hebrew: ''ʾĒsar-Ḥaddōn'') was the king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire from the death of his ...
,
and eventually led the rebellion against the Neo Assyrians that succeed in destroying the Assyrian capital
Nineveh
Nineveh (; akk, ; Biblical Hebrew: '; ar, نَيْنَوَىٰ '; syr, ܢܝܼܢܘܹܐ, Nīnwē) was an ancient Assyrian city of Upper Mesopotamia, located in the modern-day city of Mosul in northern Iraq. It is located on the eastern ban ...
.
The end of the Assyrian Empire would also bring about the end of the ''Pax Assyriaca'' and the rise of the
Neo-Babylonian Empire
The Neo-Babylonian Empire or Second Babylonian Empire, historically known as the Chaldean Empire, was the last polity ruled by monarchs native to Mesopotamia. Beginning with the coronation of Nabopolassar as the List of kings of Babylon, King of B ...
.
References
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{{Paxes
Neo-Assyrian Empire
Assyriaca, Pax
7th century BC in international relations
Ancient international relations
Latin political words and phrases