The past few centuries have seen the rise and fall of great Mesopotamian empires, first Assyria, and then Babylon. With the recent replacement of Babylon by Persia, however, the people of Mesopotamia now find themselves ruled by a power from outside the region for the first time in their long history.
The Assyrian and Babylonian policy of moving conquered peoples from one region to another has caused massive population upheaval. This has led to the Aramaic language becoming the lingua franca of Mesopotamia. Along with the spoken language has spread the use of the Aramaic alphabet. These developments make international trade easier, as do the great Persian-built roads which now span the region.
Related Topics:
History of Ancient Mesopotamia
Related Timelines:
Timeline of Middle East History - 500BC
Timeline of World History - 500BC
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