Conquered Diverse Lands (Empire) The Persian Empire (Achaemenid Empire) Highly Centralized Cyrus (reigned 557 – 530 B.C.E.) Darius (reigned 522-486 BCE) Conquered Diverse Lands (Empire) Religiously Tolerant Royal Road 1,700 Miles Long
Satraps (Royal Governors) Personally Trained by Cyrus So Centralized That Satraps (Royal Governors) Personally Trained by Cyrus Carried Out King’s Orders In Every Province System of Imperial Spies Eyes and Ears of King The king everywhere was watching!
Soldiers could easily be moved to quell rebellions Royal Road It was a big deal Soldiers could easily be moved to quell rebellions Allowed trade and commerce to flourish
Founded by Prophet Zoroaster (Zarathustra) Zoroastrianism Religion of Empire Founded by Prophet Zoroaster (Zarathustra) Believed in cosmic battle between good and evil In the end, God will prevail People free to choose Heaven or Hell
And Peninsula and Islands Thus Fragmented Not Centralized The Greeks Rugged Terrain And Peninsula and Islands Thus Fragmented Not Centralized Many City-States Like Athens, Sparta, Corinth and Thebes
Called Themselves Hellenes Fiercely Independent Called Themselves Hellenes Same Culture but Different Political Systems Athens – Direct Democracy All free men born in Athens voted Sparta – Militaristic Helots (Spartan Slaves) farmed Spartan men served in military
But Athenian Women Experienced Greater Patriarchal Restrictions Spartan Women – More Freedom
Expansion of Democracy for Men in Athens Solon Cleisthenes Pericles
Some Greeks moved in search of farm land Greco-Persian Wars Some Greeks moved in search of farm land Settled in Persian Empire (Ionian Greeks) Rebelled
But surprisingly Greeks won Aided by Athens Persians attacked Twice in ten years But surprisingly Greeks won
Led to a Golden Age of Athenian Culture Socrates, Plato, Aristotle The Parthenon Literature and Art
Athens led the Alliance Betrayed the Alliance But then Civil War Athens led the Alliance Betrayed the Alliance Used $ to Make Athens Awesome
Peloponnesian War Athens and Allies Vs. Sparta and Allies
But all Greek cities weakened Paved way for conquest Sparta won But all Greek cities weakened Paved way for conquest By Philip I of Macedon And then Alexander the Great
Alexander Conquered a Vast Empire From Nile to Indus Spread Greek culture (Hellenism) Buddha now portrayed in human form in India