Propaganda in Neo-Assyria and Achaemenid Monarchies based on Written and Visual Evidence

Although the terms psychological warfare and propaganda are relatively new, the concepts are very old indeed. Both have a lengthy history in the ancient Near East where they were practiced for thousands of years before the Persians arrived on the scene. One of the tools for the stability of ancient ideological systems was propaganda. The Neo- Assyrian and Achaemenid Empires also used propaganda to advance their ideology and maintain their power and authority. How the kings of Neo- Assyria and the Achaemenids portrayed or described themselves and liked how other lands or people saw or understood them shows using propaganda in their written and visual documents and evidence. Undoubtedly, in the royal contexts of Neo-Assyria and the Achaemenids, they did not depict or write all the facts so that their ideology would not be harmed and their power, authority, and legitimacy to rule over the vast people and territories of their Empires would not be compromised. They portrayed or described a self-image that frightened the subject people and lead to their submission, or impressed them by showing and describing the glory and greatness, and the universal order and dominance of Empire. This research using written and visual sources and evidence of the royal contexts of Neo-Assyria and Achaemenid examines the tools and goals of propaganda, their intended audiences, as well as propaganda methods and strategies, especially in inscriptions and architectural reliefs, and identifies similarities and differences. The fundamental differences between Neo-Assyrian and Achaemenid propaganda is the emphasis on violence in the royal ideology of the Assyrians Empire.Tools such as royal reliefs, steles, seals, coins (Achaemenid period), and inscriptions were ancient media that communicated with their specific and universal audiences and directed their thoughts and minds, and Assyrians and Achaemenids were aware of their influence and used them in their propaganda.