Editing Assyria (section)

=== Military ===
{{See also|Middle Assyrian Empire#Military|Neo-Assyrian Empire#Military|Military history of the Neo-Assyrian Empire}}
[[File:Assyrian spearman · HHWI469.svg|thumb|A 20th-century illustration of a Neo-Assyrian spearman]]
The Assyrian army was throughout its history mostly composed of levies, mobilized only when they were needed (such as in the time of campaigns). Through regulations, obligations and sophisticated government systems, large amounts of soldiers could be recruited and mobilized already in the early Middle Assyrian period.{{Sfn|Jakob|2017b|p=152}} A small central standing army unit was established in the Neo-Assyrian Empire, dubbed the ''kiṣir šarri'' ("king's unit").{{Sfn|Dalley|2017|pp=526, 528}} Some professional, though not standing, troops are also attested in the Middle Assyrian period, dubbed ''ḫurādu'' or ''ṣābū ḫurādātu'', though what their role was is not clear due to the scarcity of sources. Perhaps this category included archers and [[chariot]]eers, who needed more extensive training than normal [[foot soldiers]].{{Sfn|Jakob|2017b|p=152}}

The Assyrian army developed and evolved over time. In the Middle Assyrian period, foot soldiers were divided into the ''sạ bū ša kakkē'' ("weapon troops") and the ''sạ bū ša arâtē'' ("shield-bearing troops") but surviving records are not detailed enough to determine what the differences were. It is possible that the ''sạ bū ša kakkē'' included ranged troops, such as slingers (''ṣābū ša ušpe'') and archers (''ṣābū ša qalte''). The chariots in the army composed a unit of their own. Based on surviving depictions, chariots were crewed by two soldiers: an archer who commanded the chariot (''māru damqu'') and a driver (''ša mugerre'').{{Sfn|Jakob|2017b|p=152}} Chariots first entered extensive military use under Tiglath-Pileser I in the 12th–11th centuries BC{{Sfn|Jakob|2017b|p=152}} and were in the later Neo-Assyrian period gradually phased out in favor of cavalry{{Sfn|Dalley|2017|p=|pp=526–527}} (''ša petḫalle'').{{Sfn|Jakob|2017b|p=152}} In the Middle Assyrian period, cavalry was mainly used for escorting or message deliveries.{{Sfn|Jakob|2017b|p=153}}

Under the Neo-Assyrian Empire, important new developments in the military were the large-scale introduction of cavalry, the adoption of [[iron]] for armor and weapons,{{Sfn|Dalley|2017|p=|pp=523, 525, 529–531}} and the development of new and innovative [[siege warfare]] techniques.{{Sfn|Aberbach|2003|p=4}} At the height of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, the Assyrian army was the strongest army yet assembled in world history.{{Sfn|Aberbach|2003|p=4}} The number of soldiers in the Neo-Assyrian army was likely several hundred thousand.{{Sfn|Dalley|2017|p=531}} The Neo-Assyrian army was subdivided into ''kiṣru'', composed of perhaps 1,000 soldiers, most of whom would have been infantry soldiers (''zūk'', ''zukkû'' or ''raksūte''). The infantry was divided into three types: light, medium and heavy, with varying weapons, level of armor and responsibilities.{{Sfn|Dalley|2017|pp=526, 528}} While on campaign, the Assyrian army made heavy use of both interpreters/translators (''targumannu'') and guides (''rādi kibsi''), both probably being drawn from foreigners resettled in Assyra.{{Sfn|Dalley|2017|p=|pp=528, 531}}