The Persian Empire 2000 BC – 100 BC

The Persian Empire 2000 BC – 100 BC The Medes and the Persians lived in the Middle East on the Iranian Plateau between the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf. In 550 BC, the Persian ruler Cyrus the Great united these two peoples. He then expanded Persia’s territory westward by conquering Lydian and Babylonia and eastward by conquering territories as far as the Indus River.

Building an Empire -the son of Cyrus the Great conquered Egypt Persian Empire Building an Empire -the son of Cyrus the Great conquered Egypt -the next ruler, Darius, unified the Persian Empire -he built a network of public roads, introduced a uniform set of weights and measurements and established several capital cities -Persia became the largest empire that had ever been built -the vast empire was divided into provinces ruled by local officials that were loyal to the Persian king -tributes and taxes were paid by the people to the king -the people of the Persian empire made a lot of money due to the extensive trade throughout the empire

Religion -at first, Persians worshipped many gods Persian Empire Religion -at first, Persians worshipped many gods -in 570 BC, a religious leader named Zoroaster, introduced Zoroastrianism -there were only two gods 1. the god of truth, light, and goodness 2. the god of darkness and evil -the whole universe was the battleground between the two forces -if you lived a good life, you went to Heaven -if you lived an evil life, you went to Hell

Persia’s Accomplishments Persian Empire Persia’s Accomplishments -they learned the practice of using coins -Persians moved from a bartering to a “money economy” -they built 100’s of miles of roads using gravel and stone -a postal service was established to make communication easier

The Persian Empire -Cyrus the Great united the Persian Empire Notes The Persian Empire -Cyrus the Great united the Persian Empire -Darius (his son), introduced uniform measures and built several new cities -Zoroastrianism was a new religion based on Zoroaster who taught there were two gods: 1. light and goodness 2. darkness and evil -Persian Accomplishments -learned to use coins (changed economy from barter to money) -built hundreds of roads to unify empire -established a postal service Vocabulary Note Card -tribute—a payment made as a sign of submission -barter—to trade by exchange of goods or services

Ancient Greece

Geography -large mountainous peninsula, the islands of the Aegean Sea, and the coast of what is present-day Turkey -farming was hard because of the hilly and stony terrain so they had to rely on trade -they produced wine, olive oil, and pottery which they traded -because of the trade, they were exposed to other civilizations -the exposure lead to the Greeks using the Phoenician alphabet

Early Greek Civilization The Minoan civilization flourished on the island of Crete from 2000 BC to 1400 BC. The Minoans developed their own former of writing, used copper and bronze and were skilled at shipbuilding. The Minoan civilization mysteriously collapsed around 1400 BC. A second ancient Greek civilization thrived around Mycenae and the coast of Asia Minor from 1400 BC to 1200 BC. At this time, the Dorians, a group of people from northern Greece, conquered the Greek mainland.

The Rise of Greek City-States Mountains and the sea caused Greek centers of population to be cut off from one another. As a result, separate city-states developed with their own governments and laws. The Greek word for city-state is polis. The Greeks also shared a common culture based on their language, religious beliefs, traditions, and close economic ties. All Greeks believed in the same gods that lived on Mount Olympus. Citizens partici-pated every four years in Olympic games in honor of Zeus and the other Greek gods. The Greeks believed their gods were pleased by strong, graceful human bodies.

Sparta -one of the most important city-states The Rise of Greek City-States Sparta -one of the most important city-states -located in the southern part of Greece -military state -in 725 BC, the Spartans conquered their neighbors and forced them to farm for them -individualism and new ideas were discouraged -strict obedience and self-discipline were highly valued….for example, if a newborn Spartan baby was found to be unhealthy, it was left on a hillside to die

Athens - Developed the first Democracy The Rise of Greek City-States Athens - Developed the first Democracy - a democratic city-state where voting on issues took place -the Citizens Assembly was the main governing body -all citizens were welcome but only the first 5,000 were allowed -the Citizens Assembly met about ten times a year -the assembly made laws -even poor citizens could be on the assembly -this type of government became known as a democracy -all citizens were allowed to participate in government