Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 1 Chapter 7 The Empires of Persia
Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 2 Achaemenid Empire ( BCE) Migration from central Asia, before 1000 BCE Indo-Europeans Cyrus (r BCE) founder of dynasty “Cyrus the Shepherd” Peak under Darius (r BCE) Ruled Indus to the Aegean Capital Persepolis
Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. Darius I 3
Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 4
5
6 Achaemenid Administration: The Satrapies 23 Administrative divisions Satraps Persian, but staff mostly local System of spies, surprise audits Minimized local rebellions Standardized currency for taxation purposes Massive road system; postal service
Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 7 Technologies Qanat: System of underground canals Avoided loss by evaporation Standard coinage Extensive roads Persian Royal Road 1,600 miles, some of it paved Couriers, armies, merchants
Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 8 Decline of the Achaemenid Empire Policy of tolerance under Cyrus & Darius Jews freed from slavery Rebuilding of Temple in Jerusalem Xerxes ( BCE) attempts to impose Persian stamp on satrapies Increasing public discontent
Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 9 Persian Wars ( BCE) Rebellious Greeks in Ionia Peninsular Greeks join in Persians defeated at Marathon (490 BCE), retreated Alexander the Great conquered Persia, BCE
Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 10 Seleucid Empire Alexander the Great died suddenly Generals divided empire Persia went to Seleucus (r BCE) Seleucid Empire Attacked by rebellion in India, invasion of Parthians
Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 11 The Achaemenid and Selucid empires, B.C.E.
Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 12 Parthian Empire Parthians drive Seleucus out of Persia Semi-nomadic Especially strong cavalry Weakened by ongoing wars with Romans Fell to internal rebellion
Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 13 Sasanid Empire ( CE) Claimed descent from Achaemenids Continual conflicts with Rome, Byzantium in the west, Kush in the east Overwhelmed by Arab conquest in 651 Persian administration and culture absorbed into local Islamic culture
Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 14 The Parthian and Sasanid empires, 247 B.C.E.-651 C.E
Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 15 Persian Society Early steppe traditions Warriors, priests, peasants Family/clan kinship very important Creation of bureaucrat class with Empire Tax collectors Record keepers translators
Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 16 Slave Class Prisoners of war, conquered populations Debtors Children, spouses also sold into slavery Mostly domestic servitude Some agricultural labor, public works
Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 17 Persian Economy Several areas exceptionally fertile Long-distance trade flourishes Due to Persian roads Goods from India especially valued
Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 18 Zoroastrianism Early Aryan influences on Persian religious traditions Zarathustra (late 7 th -early 6 th c. BCE) Priests of Zarathustra known as Magi Oral teachings until Sasanids Gathas, sscred text, composed
Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 19 Fortunes of Zoroastrianism Under Alexander: Massacre of Magi burned Zoroastrian temples Weak Parthian support Major revival under Sasanids persecution of non-Zoroastrians Discrimination under Islam
Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 20 Other Religious Groups in Persia Major Mesopotamian communities of Jews Composition of the Talmud, c. 500 CE “constitution of Judaism” Buddhism and Christianity survived