1. The Persian Empire

2. The Rise of Persia
Persians will use diplomacy and tolerance with strong military to back up policies
Ancient Persia included modern day Iran
1000 BCE Indo-Europeans migrate to Iran
Good resources which helped trade
Copper, lead, gold, silver
Organized into tiny kingdoms at first

3. Cyrus the Great Forges an Empire
550 BCE Cyrus began Persia’s conquest of neighbors
Empire spanned over 2,000 miles
Soldiers had leather pants and thick boots and short bows
Army was very successful between BCE conquering the entire Fertile Crescent and most of Anatolia

4. The Rule of Cyrus the Great
He was kind to people he conquered
No looting or burning of villages he conquered
Honored local customs and religions
Pray at local temples
Subject peoples had freedom
Allowed Jews to return to Jerusalem (remember they were exiled by the Babylonians)
Died fighting nomadic groups

5. The Rule of Cambyses and Darius
Cambyses, Cyrus’s son, captured Egypt but was not fair and good to them so there were widespread rebellions
BCE Darius, a noble of the ruling dynasty, seized the throne
Extended Persian conquests in the east
Never managed to capture Greece
Established an efficient and well- organized administration

6. Provinces and Satraps
King divided empire into 20 provinces in order to control them
Each province could practice its own religion, follow its own laws, and speak its own language
A Satrap (governor) was appointed to rule over each territory
Army leader and tax collection for each province
Darius sent out inspectors to ensure the loyalty of the satraps

7. The Royal Road Enhances Trade and Communication
Stretched 1,677 miles
111 relay stations along the road spaced about 15 miles apart
Manufactured metal coins that had a standard value, which promoted trade

8. Zoroastrianism
Zoroaster was a Persian prophet that lived about 600 BCE and addressed the question of human suffering
Zoroastrianism
Two armies that fight for a person’s soul
Ahura Mazda- god of truth and light
Ahriman – god of evil and darkness
When you die, souls are judged based on which god they followed and would either go to paradise or a fiery pit
Avesta- holy writings of the religion
Spread to parts of India where it became the Parsi sect
Influenced Manicheanism, a religious system that competed with Christianity

9. The Legacy of the Persian Empire
Brought political order to southwest Asia
Respect for conquered cultures allowed those cultures to flourish for years