1. THE ASSYRIAN (700 BC) AND PERSIAN (539 BC) EMPIRES
Assyrian warship
Assyrian King Ashurbanipal Hunting Lions

2. ASSYRIA (700-612 BCE) Semitic-speaking people
Modern reproduction of Assyrian sword and shield

3. GOVERNMENT Ruled by kings with absolute power Well-organized
Officials developed an efficient communication system
Sargon II was the most important leader
Carried 27,000 Israelites into captivity
Assyrian winged bull from Sargon’s palace

4. ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Created one of the world’s finest libraries at Nineveh:
Established Aramaic as official language
Effective military
Large army with iron weapons
Used new fighting tactics and terror
Infantry
MILITARY
Strong leaders
Large, well-organized, and disciplined fighters
Infantry was the core and was supported by cavalry and horse-drawn chariots
Assyrian battering ram

5. FALL OF THE ASSYRIAN EMPIRE
The Chaldeans and Medes (people who lived in the east) joined together to conquer the Assyrians in 539 BC
The fall of Nineveh preceded the fall of the Assyrian Empire
They divided the empire
Tablet detailing the destruction of Nineveh

6. BETWEEN THE EMPIRES Nebuchadnezzar
Chaldean King made Babylon the strongest city in western Asia
Famous hanging gardens
Babylon fell to the Persians in 539 BC
This marked the end of the Mesopotamian empires
Persians adopted Assyrian military, political and artistic inventions
Babylon was the center of the Chaldean Empire
Nebuchadnezzar rebuilt Babylon and constructed canals, aqueducts, reservoirs, and temples
Nebuchadnezzar faces off against King Zedekiah, the last king of Judah

7. PERSIA (559 BCE- 360 BCE) Persians
Mostly nomadic tribes at first
Persian Empire was massive and grew larger than the prior Mesopotamian empires
Established durable political and cultural traditions
Fertile farmland and thriving trade
Had several capital cities including Persepolis and Susa
Achaemenids united the Medes and the Persians

8. CYRUS THE GREAT – 559 BC Created a powerful state through warfare
Indus River to Anatolia
Demonstrated wisdom, compassion, and mercy
Had a genuine respect for other cultures and practiced tolerance of local customs
Respected temples
Jews returned to Jerusalem
Borrowed from achievements of earlier Mesopotamian society
Creating a powerful state
Cyrus conquered several neighboring kingdoms in 550 BC, all of the Fertile Crescent, and most of Asia Minor (modern Turkey)
When he captured Babylon, he allowed the captive Jews to return to Israel and all of the captured people considered him to
be their ruler
The Cyrus Cylinder was the first human rights charter
Cyrus created massive empire in northern Middle East and northwestern India

9. DARIUS – 521 BCE Conqueror Added part of India to Persian Empire
Conquered Thrace (in Europe)
Invaded Greek mainland
Halted at the Battle of Marathon
Created world’s largest empire at that time
BATTLE OF MARATHON – 490 BCE
Persian invasion of Greece began as a punishment for the revolt of several Greek city-states against Persian rule (Persians put it down)
Greeks defeated a huge Persian army under the leadership of the Athenians
Greek soldier named Pheidippides ran 26 miles to take the news to Athens, collapsed, and died
Persians then tried to attack Athens by sea, but the Athenians had rushed back to defend their city.
Persians vowed revenge and returned to Asia

10. Accomplishments Government Strengthened it
Created more efficient communication system
The King had the power of life and death
PROVINCES
Each province was ruled by a governor
Satraps, or governors, collected taxes, distributed justice, and recruited soldiers
Expanded Assyrian postal system
COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
Royal Road was well-maintained and included stations with food, shelter, and fresh horses
PICTURE (BOTTOM LEFT)
Tomb of Darius in Persis
PICTURE (BOTTOM RIGHT)
Subject satraps paying homage to Darius

11. Accomplishments Military Empire’s power depended upon the military
cavalry and infantry
Built effective road system
MAP
Achaemenid Empire under Darius
INFANTRY
Elite force called the “Immortals”
Whenever a member was killed, he was immediately replaced

12. XERXES Son of Darius Stopped rebellion in Egypt and attacked Greece
Battle of Thermopylae
Battle of Salamis
Was defeated and returned to Persia
THERMOPYLAE
Xerxes wanted revenge for his father
480 BCE – Amassed an army and fleet that outnumbered the Greeks more than two to one
Many Greek city-states held back at first because they thought the Persians would win easily
A Greek traitor showed the Persians a pass that would lead them to Athens, which was indefensible
Most Athenians were evacuated to an island
They watched as the Persians set fire to their temples on the Acropolis
SALAMIS
Themistocles (Athenian leader) realized that Persian navy was too big to move quickly
If they could be led into a narrow straight, their numbers wouldn’t matter, and they would be easily defeated
Themistocles had a slave visit Xerxes with a trick – he told Xerxes that the Greeks were quarreling
Persians rowed into the narrow straight of Thermopylae
Instead of a weak force, they found a united force that was ready to fight
Xerxes watched the battle from a hill overlooking the straight
The Persian navy was almost destroyed and Xerxes fled

13. ZOROASTRIANISM
Persian religion named after its prophet – 660 BC Zoroaster
Tenets
Proto-Monotheistic: Ahura Mazda
Humans play a role in the struggle between good and evil
Humans are given the freedom to choose between right and wrong
ZOROASTER
Born in 660 BCE
Teachings are recorded in the Zend Avesta

14. FALL OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRE
Why?
Kings became isolated and focused on obtaining luxuries
Struggles over the throne weakened the monarchy
Eventually defeated by Alexander the Great of Greece
Kings increased taxes and loyalty decreased
FAMILY PROBLEMS
Kings had many wives and children
Sons had little power and engaged in plots to gain the throne
Persian archer