The Assyrian Empire was home to a diverse group of people, leading to intermarriage and language changes that challenge previous classifications by ethnicity. Focusing solely on Assyrian foreign policy can lead to a negative portrayal of the empire's impact on other groups.
The discussion touches on the negative aspects of focusing primarily on geopolitics and Assyrian foreign policy when studying Assyrian violence, as well as the difficulty historians face in classifying royal concubines and wives.
In this podcast, historian Will Durant emphasizes that ethnic diversity among ancient peoples in the Middle East was common due to constant interactions and intermarriage, leading to changes in language and culture and undermining the idea that ethnicity was the defining characteristic of groups at the time.
The use of cavalry in warfare dates back to Ancient Egypt, but it wasn't until around 900 BCE that Syrian cavalry depicted a more advanced level of horsemanship. However, many early depictions show riders who were not very comfortable on horseback.
The podcast discusses the history of tribal societies and how the odds were more equally balanced between them and the so-called civilized societies on the steppe, unlike in other parts of the world such as ancient Rome or colonial America.