1. THE PERSIANS

2. GEOGRAPHY Mountainous, arid, no harbors = tribes; not unified
Zoroastrianism VERY important in uniting people

3. ACHAEMENID EMPIRE
Persians and Medes are Iranians, related to Indo-Europeans
The Medes
Migrated from central Asia to Persia before 1000 B.C.E.
Indo-European speakers, sharing cultural traits with the Aryans

4. PERSIAN KINGS Cyrus the Great (reigned 558-530 B.C.E.)
Became the king of the Persians in 558 B.C.E., all Medes in 548 BCE
Established vast empire stretching from India to Mediterranean
Looting and burning not allowed!
Honored local customs
Viewed favorably in the OT: allowed Jews in Babylon to return home
Cyrus thought their God to be an ally of his god
… there’s a downside of monarchy, though! HEREDITY! Cyrus aspired to conquer the entire known world, believing it was his religious duty to do so
- A tough, wily leader, military strategist
With a partner, discuss whether Cyrus was truly “great.”
Compare him with Alexander.

5. PERSIAN KINGS Opposite of his dad…
Cambyses II, son of Cyrus (re B.C.E.)
Conquered Egypt in 525 BCE
Opposite of his dad…
Everyone hated him.
Not a kind king. Looted, burned, pillaged
Ridiculed Egyptian polytheism and ordered for the images of their gods to be burned

6. PERSIAN KINGS Darius I [duh-RYE-us] - reigned 521-486 B.C.E.
With his Ten Thousand Immortals, he rose to power
Built the largest empire in world history
Expanded to the Indus Valley
2500 miles in length
Ruled more than 70 ethnic groups
Built new capital at Persepolis, 520 B.C.E.
A young kinsman of Cyrus
Much like Cyrus the Great – well-respected

7. THE PERSIAN EMPIRE UNDER DARIUS I
3000 miles long. Empire flourished for 200 years!

8. You have just created the largest empire the world has ever seen
You have just created the largest empire the world has ever seen. With a partner, discuss how you would control and maintain such an empire.
Be specific! Formulate at least eight means of controlling a large area
We’ve talked about characteristics of a civilization – what about an empire? Think more specifically… trade routes, strong leader, taxes, military, common currency, communication routes, architecture/literature/innovations, toleration of cultures, loyalty of people

9. POLITICS Darius divided the empire into 23 satrapies
Satraps (governors)
Appointed by the central government
Satraps' power
Represent Emperor, maintain defense, collect taxes
Checked by military officers and "imperial spies“
“King’s Eyes and Ears”
Local officials were drawn from local peoples
Local policies included self-government, toleration

10. POLITICS Replaced irregular tribute payments with formal taxes
Standardization of coins and laws
Communication systems
Persian Royal Road links Susa (Asia Minor, Lydia to Susa, in Persia)
Military: largest in history until Romans, Chinese
Common levies from each province
Persian cavalry; Persian Immortals: elite shock troops
Mercenaries included Greeks
Benefit of a royal road? Postal stations with postal relay riders

11. ECONOMY Main crops: Barley and wheat
Agriculture was the economic foundation
Main crops: Barley and wheat
Trade
Political stability promoted growth of trade
Standardized coins (Gold Darics were first in world), good trade routes
Large agricultural surplus – bc they had so much land!!!!
What’s the benefit of standardized coins?

12. RELIGION
Religious beliefs put forward by the Persian thinker Zarathustra
ZOROASTRIANISM
One god, six lesser deities
Ahura Mazda – god of light and good
Ahriman – god of dark and evil
Eternal fight of good vs. evil – people must choose a side
Good go to heaven
Bad go to hell

13. ZOROASTRIANISM Zoroastrian teachings Popularity of Zoroastrianism
Heavenly paradise and hellish realm as reward and punishment
The material world as a blessing
Good vs. evil – whose side are you on?
Popularity of Zoroastrianism
Attracted Persian aristocrats and ruling elites
Darius regarded Ahura Mazda as supreme God
Sizable followings in Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Egypt, and other regions
Assimilated with many other local religions
Conflicted with…

14. Comparison: Religion
“Then at Thy command shall the Good Mind establish the Kingdom of Heaven, O Mazda.”
“Long punishment for the evil-doer, and bliss for the follower of truth, the joy of salvation for the Righteous ever afterwards.”
“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’s sake: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.”
“Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad:: for great is your reward in Heaven…”
Is a dualistic model more effective than a polytheistic model in uniting civilizations? Explain.

15. SOCIETY
TOLERANCE
Under Cyrus and Darius, conquered people allowed to practice their local customs and traditions
Huge melting pot of beliefs and customs
Spread and mix of art, religion, architecture, food, mixed races and ethnic groups

16. PERSEPOLIS

17. THE WARS WITH GREECE
Good time for recap – who started the war?

18. THE WARS WITH GREECE The Persian Wars (500-479 B.C.E.)
Ionian Greeks rebelled
Greek free city states sent aid to rebels
Persian rulers put down rebellion
Darius invaded Greece to punish Greeks
Won battle of Thermopylae
Xerxes
Lost both land and sea battles to Greeks
Battles of Marathon
Phalanxes proved Greek might
Battle of Salamis – definitive battle; Athenian naval prowess

19. Decline and Fall Empire became too big to control Lack of leadership
Incompetent rulers after Xerxes
Persian Wars
Alexander the Great

20. ALEXANDER AND HIS HEIRS
Alexander of Macedon
Invaded Persia in 334 B.C.E.
Battle of Gaugamela, ended Achaemenid empire, 331 B.C.E.
Alexander burned the city of Persepolis, conquered whole empire
What happened to Alexander?
No heirs… four strongest generals divide the empire
Persia divided into four empires –
Ptolemaic
Seleucid
Pergamon
Macedonia