HANDOUT FOR SEPT. 19 AND 21: THE NEAR EAST IN THE FIRST MILLENNIUM B.C.
Assyrians:
c.900-612 BC: Assyrian height of power.
883-859: Ashurnasirpal II, "the Cruel."
744-727: Tiglath-Pileser III.
704-681: Sennacherib.
680-669: Esarhaddon.
668-626: Ashurbanipal.
612: Fall of Nineveh and end of Assyrian Empire.
Neo-Babylonians:
604-562: Nebuchadrezzar.
556-539: Nabonidus.
Persians:
559: Cyrus king in southern Persia.
550: Cyrus overthrows Astyages and takes over Median Empire.
547: Cyrus defeats Croesus in Lydia.
539: Cyrus conquers Babylon. Jews allowed to return from exile.
530: Cyrus killed fighting in Central Asia.
530-522: Cambyses king.
525: Cambyses invades Egypt.
522: Revolt of Bardiya, death of Cambyses. Darius "elected" king.
498: Greek cities of Ionia revolt, with Athenian support. Sardis burned, Darius vows revenge.
490: Darius’ unsuccessful invasion of Greece; battle of Marathon.
486: Death of Darius, accession of Xerxes.
480-479: Xerxes’ invasion of Greece. Battles of Thermopylae, Salamis, Plataea.
465: Death of Xerxes.
458-445: Ezra and Nehemiah rebuild Jerusalem Temple.
336-330: Darius III, last king of Persia.
334-330: Alexander the Great invades Persia.
King of Kings (shahanshah): title of Persian King.
Satrap: title of a Persian governor.
Zoroastrianism: Persian religion. Founded by prophet Zoroaster (Zarathushtra) c.1200 BC.
Ahura-Mazda: God of Light.
Ahriman: God of Darkness.
Magi: Zorostrian priests (hence our word "magic").
More on Zoroastrianism: www.avesta.org