The Assyrian Post
By Eugyoung Han
The End of One, Beginning of Another
The Assyrian empire began when the Hittite empire gave up its control of Ashur, the city-state in which the Assyrians lived, because it was too far way. This gave the people of Ashur, known as the Assyrians (the name “Assyria” derives from the name “Ashur”), independence and a chance to form an empire. Soon, not after many years, the Assyrians became a fast-growing empire. Under the rule of many powerful leaders, such as Tukulti-Ninurta (c. 1233 -1197 BC), Ashurnazirpal II (833-859 BC), Shalmeneser III (858-824 BC) and many others, the Assyrians extended its empire and conquered many countries. Countries that have been conquered by the Assyrians include Syria, Armenia, Palestine, and many other parts of Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean Sea.
Here is a map of the Assyrian empire in different time periods. As shown above, the empire expanded and expanded as more time passed
source: http://www.falange.us/assyria.jpg