ABSTRACT
The second half of the 2nd millennium BC in northern Mesopotamia is marked by clashes among the territorial states of Mitanni, Hatti, Egypt, Assyria and Babylonia. The Mitanni empire, with its centre situated in the Khabur Triangle in north-eastern Syria, perished in the later 14th century BC partly because of Hittite pressure and partly because of internal causes. As a result, Assyria, with its core territory along the Tigris, was able first to free itself from its former sovereign’s grip and take over parts of Mitanni territory. The Hittite empire collapsed around the turn of the 13th to the 12th century BC and along with it ceased Hittite hold over northern Syria. During the same period, Babylonia and Egypt suffered from phases of inner frailty, which lead to dynastic changes in both polities. By contrast, Assyria experienced a relative measure of continuity, including a remarkable dynastic longevity that stretches from the 2nd millennium BC until the end of the 7th century BC.
