The Persians

Rise of Persia The Persians based their empire on tolerance and diplomacy. They relied on a strong military to back up their policies. Ancient Persia is where Iran is today.

The Persian Empire

Persepolis Student video giving overview of Persian Empire (10:00)

Ancient Persepolis

The People of Persepolis

Government of Persia Monarchy Absolute Power Separated into smaller Saytraps Tolerance of other cultures and traditions to keep down the number of revolts

Cyrus the Great A tolerant ruler  he allowed different cultures within his empire to keep their own institutions. The Greeks called him a “Law-Giver.” The Jews called him “the anointed of the Lord.” (In 537, he allowed over 40,000 Hebrew slaves to return to Palestine). Video on Cyrus the Great 580 – 529 B. C. E.

Cambyses King Cambyses II – Conquered Egypt

Darius the Great (526 – 485 B. C. E.) Built Persepolis. He extended the Persian Empire to the Indus River in northern India. (2 mil. s.q. mi.) Built a canal in Egypt.

Darius the Great (526 – 485 B. C. E.) Established a tax-collecting system. Divided the empire into districts called SATRAPIES. Built the great Royal Road system. Established a complex postal system. Created a network of spies called “the King’s eyes and ears.”

How did Cyrus and Darius keep control of such a vast empire? Broke Empire down into provinces Royal Governors = Satraps Royal Provinces = Satrapies They were loyal to the Emperor and did his bidding.

Persian “Royal Road” Royal Road allowed to quick communication to Persepolis

The Royal Road 1,677 miles long with 111 relay stations Other smaller roads branched off the royal road Relay stations had rest areas and fresh horses. The entire royal road could be traveled in a week by a horsemen Caravans took about a month

How would the royal road enable a ruler to maintain power in the empire? How would it effect trade in the empire?

Economy ~ Ordered construction of better roads ~ Established a system of weights and measures ~ Started using coins throughout their empire as a universal trade value ~ Divided Empire into saytrapys -Wealth of the saytrapy determined yearly taxes

Persian Resources The Persians had many different resources such as: Copper, lead, gold, silver, blue lapis lazuli, and silk

Founded by Zoroaster Good Thoughts, Good Deed, Good Words Zoroastrianism Founded by Zoroaster Good Thoughts, Good Deed, Good Words “Tree of Life”

Religion Zoroastrianism – still practiced today in parts of northern India One powerful god called Ahura Mazda which encourages people to live in a positive manner Trade by nature, encourages greed and people to take advantage of those they sell to – Persians were encouraged not to be merchants.

Persian Archers & Soldiers

Army A large empire needs a large army to support it. The Persian army has more people in it than any other army on Earth in 400 BCE. They could place 300,000 on one battlefield at it’s height. The “immortals” were 10,000 of the strongest, most elite, fighters that served as the personal guards to the king.

Persian Army Made up of 200, 000 - 300, 000 men pulled from a kingdom of 5 million people or so. Vastly outnumbered any other army in the ancient world Dressed lightly for quick movement and speed – no metal armor Individual fighters

Weaponry Long Distance composite bows Chariots with scythes Spears with weighted ends Deadliest Warrior Video Clip (start to 2:35, 6:20-8:10, 9:44 to end)

Problems with “300” Xerxes in 300 Real Xerxes

More “300” Comparisons Persian Immortals in “300” Real Persian Immortals

Excerpt from the Washington Post about “300” Also remember that “300” does not claim to follow exactly ancient accounts of the battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C. It is an impressionistic take on a graphic novel by Frank Miller, intended to entertain and shock first, and instruct second. Indeed, at the real battle, there weren’t rhinoceroses or elephants in the Persian army. Their king, Xerxes, was bearded and sat on a throne high above the battle; he wasn’t, as in the movie, bald and sexually ambiguous, and he didn’t prance around the killing field. And neither the traitor Ephialtes nor the Spartan overseers, the Ephors, were grotesquely deformed. When the Greeks were surrounded on the battle’s last day, there were 700 Thespians and another 400 Thebans who fought alongside the 300 Spartans under King Leonidas. But these non-Spartans are scarcely prominent in the movie. Still, the main story line mostly conveys the message of Thermopylae. A small contingent of Greeks at Thermopylae (which translates to “The Hot Gates”) really did block the enormous Persian army for three days before being betrayed. The defenders claimed their fight was for the survival of a free people against subjugation by the Persian Empire. Many of the film’s corniest lines — such as the Spartan dare, “Come and take them,” when ordered by the Persians to hand over their weapons, or the Spartans’ flippant reply, “Then we will fight in the shade,” when warned that Persian arrows will blot out the sun — actually come from ancient accounts by Herodotus and Plutarch. The warriors of “300” look like comic-book heroes because they are based on Frank Miller’s drawings that emphasized bare torsos, futuristic swords and staged fight scenes.

Fall of the Persians The Persians will fight two very costly wars with the Greeks from 492 to 479 BCE. The Persians lose the wars but maintain their Empire. They lose confidence, money, and this causes them to no longer expand their boarders.

End of the Empire Eventually, in 331BCE, Alexander the Great will attack the Persians, take control of the government, and assimilate the land into his own empire.

Legacy Tolerance for others cultures The ease of a unified coin system Paved roads for fast travel and sending messages A large, fast moving army can stop rebellions