How did the Assyrians and the Persians consolidate their power and control the subjects of their empires?

SSmall kingdoms like those of the Phoenicians and the Jews could exist only in the absence of a major power. In the ninth century B.C.E. one major power arose in the form of the Assyrians, who starting in northern Mesopotamia created an empire through often-brutal military conquests. And from a base in what is now southern Iran, the Persians established an even larger empire, developing effective institutions of government.

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Assyrian Warriors Attack a CityIn this Assyrian carving from a royal throne room made about 865 B.C.E., warriors cross a river on inflated skins, which both support them and provide air for breathing underwater. Such innovative techniques, combined with a large army and effective military organization, allowed the Assyrians to establish a large empire. (Werner Forman Archive/British Museum, London. Location: 10. © 2004 Werner Forman/TopFoto/The Image Works)