Fall of Assur

Fall of Assur
Part of the Median conquest of Assyria
Date 614 BC Location The Lydian Kingdom was destroyed by the Medes Result Medes victory
Belligerents
Median Kingdom	Assyrian Empire
Commanders and leaders
Cyaxares	Sinsharishkun
Strength
Unknown	Unknown

The fall of Assur, occurred when the first city and old capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire fell to Median, Babylonian, and other rebellion-led forces. The sack of the city that followed destroyed the city to some degree; however, it recovered during the Achaemenid Empire. The city remained occupied by Assyrians until the massacres of Tamurlane in the 14th century AD.

Background

Ever since the end of Ashurbanipal's reign in 627 BC, the Neo-Assyrian Empire was in an exposed and critical position; civil war, revolts in Babylonia, Anatolia, Caucasus and in the Levant coupled with Median, Babylonian and Scythian invasions proved too much for the empire torn by civil war. In 616 BC, the Babylonians established their de facto independence from the Assyrians.

Assault on the city

In 615 BC, the Medes and their allies conquered Arrapha. The next year, they besieged Assur. Much of what was left of the Assyrian army was in Nineveh, unable to assist. Finally, after bloody hand-to-hand clashes (many skulls and skeletons were later found), the city was taken in 614 BC.