This study deals with one of the most remarkable developments in the history of the Ancient Near East, which had significant impacts on the long-term development of Eurasia. This development consists of the rise of sustainable forms of empire and imperialism. The emergence of durable empires resulted in a total transformation of interregional power dynamics of the ancient world. These imperial infrastructures eventually gave rise to the global order of the modern world, in which the actions of a few powerful governments have repercussions across the globe. While it would be naive to argue for a direct evolution of imperial traditions from Assyria to the modern world, I will argue that imperial repertoires were transmitted and reworked from one empire to the next, and that imperialism in the modern world has its roots in the deep past.