1. Conquered Diverse Lands (Empire)
The Persian Empire
(Achaemenid Empire)
Highly Centralized
Cyrus (reigned 557 – 530 B.C.E.)
Darius (reigned BCE)
Conquered Diverse Lands (Empire)
Religiously Tolerant
Royal Road
1,700 Miles Long

2. Satraps (Royal Governors) Personally Trained by Cyrus
So Centralized That
Satraps (Royal Governors)
Personally Trained by Cyrus
Carried Out King’s Orders
In Every Province
System of Imperial Spies
Eyes and Ears of King
The king everywhere was watching!

3. Soldiers could easily be moved to quell rebellions
Royal Road
It was a big deal
Soldiers could easily be moved to quell rebellions
Allowed trade and commerce to flourish

4. Founded by Prophet Zoroaster (Zarathustra)
Zoroastrianism
Religion of Empire
Founded by Prophet Zoroaster (Zarathustra)
Believed in cosmic battle between good and evil
In the end, God will prevail
People free to choose
Heaven or Hell

5. And Peninsula and Islands Thus Fragmented Not Centralized
The Greeks
Rugged Terrain
And Peninsula and Islands
Thus Fragmented Not Centralized
Many City-States
Like Athens, Sparta, Corinth and Thebes

6. Called Themselves Hellenes
Fiercely Independent
Called Themselves Hellenes
Same Culture but Different Political Systems
Athens – Direct Democracy
All free men born in Athens voted
Sparta – Militaristic
Helots (Spartan Slaves) farmed
Spartan men served in military

7. But Athenian Women Experienced Greater Patriarchal Restrictions
Spartan Women – More Freedom

8. Expansion of Democracy for Men in Athens
Solon
Cleisthenes
Pericles

9. Some Greeks moved in search of farm land
Greco-Persian Wars
Some Greeks moved in search of farm land
Settled in Persian Empire
(Ionian Greeks)
Rebelled

10. But surprisingly Greeks won
Aided by Athens
Persians attacked
Twice in ten years
But surprisingly Greeks won

11. Led to a Golden Age of Athenian Culture
Socrates, Plato, Aristotle
The Parthenon
Literature and Art

12. Athens led the Alliance Betrayed the Alliance
But then Civil War
Athens led the Alliance
Betrayed the Alliance
Used $ to Make Athens Awesome

13. Peloponnesian War
Athens and Allies
Vs.
Sparta and Allies

14. But all Greek cities weakened Paved way for conquest
Sparta won
But all Greek cities weakened
Paved way for conquest
By Philip I of Macedon
And then Alexander the Great

15. Alexander Conquered a Vast Empire From Nile to Indus
Spread Greek culture (Hellenism)
Buddha now portrayed in human form in India