亞洲西部的古帝國。原為亞述城（伊拉克北部）附近的一個小地區，後來崛起為強國，統治範圍從巴勒斯坦延伸到土耳其。亞述可能是在西元前第三千紀時出現，後來勢力才慢慢茁壯。西元前9世紀是其顛峯時期，當時在亞述納西拔二世（Ashurnasipal II）的統領下，遠征到地中海地區。西元前745～626年左右，亞述帝國征服了以色列、大馬士革、巴比倫和撒馬利亞（Samaria）等地。後來的偉大君主包括提革拉-帕拉薩三世（Tailath-pileser III）、薩爾貢二世（Sargon II）、辛那赫里布（Sennacherib）和亞述巴尼拔（Ashurbanipal）。亞述人不僅以殘忍和勇敢着稱，在尼尼微、亞述城和卡拉（Calah）等地的考古發掘證明，他們還是巨大工程的建築者。相傳亞述巴尼拔在尼尼微的宮廷十分富裕。在藝術上，亞述人最有名的是石淺浮雕。西元前626～612年間亞述帝國被征服，當時的米底亞和巴比倫尼亞（加爾底亞）的國王摧毀了尼尼微城。
Assyria
Ancient empire, western Asia. It grew from a small region around Ashur (N Iraq) to encompass an area stretching from Palestine to Turkey. Assyria may have originated in the 3rd millennium BC, but it came to power gradually. Its greatest period began in the 9th century BC, when its conquests reached the Mediterranean under Ashurnasipal II, and c. 745-626 BC, when it conquered Israel, Damascus, Babylon, and Samaria. Its greatest rulers during the latter period were Tiglath-pileser III, Sargon II, Sennacherib, and Ashurbanipal. Famous for their cruelty and fighting prowess, the Assyrians were also monumental builders, as shown by archaeological finds at Nineveh, Ashur, and Calah. The opulence of Ashurbanipal's court at Nineveh became legendary. Artistically, the Assyrians were particularly noted for their stone bas-reliefs. It was vanquished between 626 and 612 BC, when Nineveh was destroyed by the kings of Media and Babylonia (Chaldea).
