THE PERSIANS

GEOGRAPHY Mountainous, arid, no harbors = tribes; not unified Zoroastrianism VERY important in uniting people

ACHAEMENID EMPIRE Persians and Medes are Iranians, related to Indo-Europeans The Medes Migrated from central Asia to Persia before 1000 B.C.E. Indo-European speakers, sharing cultural traits with the Aryans

PERSIAN KINGS Cyrus the Great (reigned 558-530 B.C.E.) Became the king of the Persians in 558 B.C.E., all Medes in 548 BCE Established vast empire stretching from India to Mediterranean Looting and burning not allowed! Honored local customs Viewed favorably in the OT: allowed Jews in Babylon to return home Cyrus thought their God to be an ally of his god … there’s a downside of monarchy, though! HEREDITY! Cyrus aspired to conquer the entire known world, believing it was his religious duty to do so - A tough, wily leader, military strategist With a partner, discuss whether Cyrus was truly “great.” Compare him with Alexander.

PERSIAN KINGS Opposite of his dad… Cambyses II, son of Cyrus (re. 530-522 B.C.E.) Conquered Egypt in 525 BCE Opposite of his dad… Everyone hated him. Not a kind king. Looted, burned, pillaged Ridiculed Egyptian polytheism and ordered for the images of their gods to be burned

PERSIAN KINGS Darius I [duh-RYE-us] - reigned 521-486 B.C.E. With his Ten Thousand Immortals, he rose to power Built the largest empire in world history Expanded to the Indus Valley 2500 miles in length Ruled more than 70 ethnic groups Built new capital at Persepolis, 520 B.C.E. A young kinsman of Cyrus Much like Cyrus the Great – well-respected

THE PERSIAN EMPIRE UNDER DARIUS I 3000 miles long. Empire flourished for 200 years!

You have just created the largest empire the world has ever seen You have just created the largest empire the world has ever seen. With a partner, discuss how you would control and maintain such an empire. Be specific! Formulate at least eight means of controlling a large area We’ve talked about characteristics of a civilization – what about an empire? Think more specifically… trade routes, strong leader, taxes, military, common currency, communication routes, architecture/literature/innovations, toleration of cultures, loyalty of people

POLITICS Darius divided the empire into 23 satrapies Satraps (governors) Appointed by the central government Satraps' power Represent Emperor, maintain defense, collect taxes Checked by military officers and "imperial spies“ “King’s Eyes and Ears” Local officials were drawn from local peoples Local policies included self-government, toleration

POLITICS Replaced irregular tribute payments with formal taxes Standardization of coins and laws Communication systems Persian Royal Road links Susa (Asia Minor, Lydia to Susa, in Persia) Military: largest in history until Romans, Chinese Common levies from each province Persian cavalry; Persian Immortals: elite shock troops Mercenaries included Greeks Benefit of a royal road? Postal stations with postal relay riders

ECONOMY Main crops: Barley and wheat Agriculture was the economic foundation Main crops: Barley and wheat Trade Political stability promoted growth of trade Standardized coins (Gold Darics were first in world), good trade routes Large agricultural surplus – bc they had so much land!!!! What’s the benefit of standardized coins?

RELIGION Religious beliefs put forward by the Persian thinker Zarathustra ZOROASTRIANISM One god, six lesser deities Ahura Mazda – god of light and good Ahriman – god of dark and evil Eternal fight of good vs. evil – people must choose a side Good go to heaven Bad go to hell

ZOROASTRIANISM Zoroastrian teachings Popularity of Zoroastrianism Heavenly paradise and hellish realm as reward and punishment The material world as a blessing Good vs. evil – whose side are you on? Popularity of Zoroastrianism Attracted Persian aristocrats and ruling elites Darius regarded Ahura Mazda as supreme God Sizable followings in Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Egypt, and other regions Assimilated with many other local religions Conflicted with…

Comparison: Religion “Then at Thy command shall the Good Mind establish the Kingdom of Heaven, O Mazda.” “Long punishment for the evil-doer, and bliss for the follower of truth, the joy of salvation for the Righteous ever afterwards.” “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’s sake: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.” “Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad:: for great is your reward in Heaven…” Is a dualistic model more effective than a polytheistic model in uniting civilizations? Explain.

SOCIETY TOLERANCE Under Cyrus and Darius, conquered people allowed to practice their local customs and traditions Huge melting pot of beliefs and customs Spread and mix of art, religion, architecture, food, mixed races and ethnic groups

PERSEPOLIS

THE WARS WITH GREECE Good time for recap – who started the war?

THE WARS WITH GREECE The Persian Wars (500-479 B.C.E.) Ionian Greeks rebelled Greek free city states sent aid to rebels Persian rulers put down rebellion Darius invaded Greece to punish Greeks Won battle of Thermopylae Xerxes Lost both land and sea battles to Greeks Battles of Marathon Phalanxes proved Greek might Battle of Salamis – definitive battle; Athenian naval prowess

Decline and Fall Empire became too big to control Lack of leadership Incompetent rulers after Xerxes Persian Wars Alexander the Great

ALEXANDER AND HIS HEIRS Alexander of Macedon Invaded Persia in 334 B.C.E. Battle of Gaugamela, ended Achaemenid empire, 331 B.C.E. Alexander burned the city of Persepolis, conquered whole empire What happened to Alexander? No heirs… four strongest generals divide the empire Persia divided into four empires – Ptolemaic Seleucid Pergamon Macedonia