亚述(Assyria)

亚洲西部的古帝国。原为亚述城（伊拉克北部）附近的一个小地区，後来崛起为强国，统治范围从巴勒斯坦延伸到土耳其。亚述可能是在西元前第三千纪时出现，後来势力才慢慢茁壮。西元前9世纪是其颠峰时期，当时在亚述纳西拔二世（Ashurnasipal II）的统领下，远征到地中海地区。西元前745～626年左右，亚述帝国征服了以色列、大马士革、巴比伦和撒马利亚（Samaria）等地。後来的伟大君主包括提革拉-帕拉萨三世（Tailath-pileser III）、萨尔贡二世（Sargon II）、辛那赫里布（Sennacherib）和亚述巴尼拔（Ashurbanipal）。亚述人不仅以残忍和勇敢着称，在尼尼微、亚述城和卡拉（Calah）等地的考古发掘证明，他们还是巨大工程的建筑者。相传亚述巴尼拔在尼尼微的宫廷十分富裕。在艺术上，亚述人最有名的是石浅浮雕。西元前626～612年间亚述帝国被征服，当时的米底亚和巴比伦尼亚（加尔底亚）的国王摧毁了尼尼微城。

English version：

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).