At its pinnacle, the kingdom of Assyria stretched from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf, a feat few could compare with in 660BCE. With Assyria's conquests documented by contemporary Greek historians, and even in the Hebrew Bible, nearly two millennia of studies have revealed a rich picture of the Assyrian world. With it's size and power undisputed, is it fair to call it the first empire the world had ever seen?

In this episode, Tristan is joined by Yale Professor Eckart Frahm to learn why he believes Assyria marked the first real empire of human history, and why this civilisation is essential to understanding the ancient world. With Assyria’s legacy enduring from the Babylonian and Persian empires to Rome and beyond, what can we learn about this remarkable civilisation?

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