The Achaemenid Persian Empire

Pre-Persian Expansion

Achaemenid Dynasty (553-330 BCE) Cyrus the Great (r. 557-530 BCE) Overthrew other Middle Eastern empires Expanded Persian people and influence throughout the Middle East Adopted some customs of conquered peoples Darius I (r. 522-485 BCE) Xerxes (r. 485-465 BCE) Both Darius and Xerxes battled the Greeks to expand the empire

Persian Kingship Shahanshah: “King of kings” King was secluded Rituals had to be performed in order to see the king Proskynesis: ritual bowing to see the king

Naqsh-e Rustam Burial site for four Persian kings

Persian Expansion

Persian Government Satrapy: 23 divisions of the empire Often used local regional rulers to maintain control Satrap: administrator of a satrapy Elaborate bureaucracy to control empire “Eyes and Ears of the King” Aramaic: official language of the empire Governed 35-50 million people

Persepolis New Persian capital Large palace with grand throne rooms Constructed by Darius ca. 500 BCE Large palace with grand throne rooms Treasury, military barracks Three sets of walls

Gate of All Nations Built by Xerxes I “May Ahura Mazda preserve me, my kingdom, what has been built by me, and what has been built by my father.”

Persian Society Large class of educated, well-paid government workers Large number of slaves for both agricultural and urban work Women could own and manage property Upper-class women were often veiled

Cyrus Cylinder Written in Akkadian cuneiform Praises Cyrus and proclaims his return of captured gods and people to their homelands

Persian Achievements Large and skilled army and navy Standardized coinage based on gold and silver Religious toleration 70 different ethnic groups Postal system “Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor darkness of night prevents them from accomplishing the task proposed with the utmost speed.”

Royal Road Royal road: 1700 miles long Traveled in seven days by imperial couriers Caravanserai: markets and inns for travelers Facilitated extensive trade within and across the empire Phoenicia, Greece, Egypt

Qanat Underground tunnels that provided water for irrigation

Sakia Water wheel powered by oxen to collect water Water collected was used for irrigation Also used in India and Egypt

Zoroastrianism Developed by the prophet Zarathustra (660-583 BCE) Ahura Mazda: one supreme god Spenta Mainyu vs. Angra Mainyu Beliefs taught by magi Avesta: main religious text containing hymns, laws, and instructions for rituals

Zoroastrianism Dominant throughout the empire and practiced by the kings Did not spread much outside of Persia Developed concepts later used by other religions Free will, good v. evil, judgment day, arrival of a savior, heaven and hell