1. The Ancient
Middle East

2. 6. The
Persian
Empire
C. 559 BCE.

3. The Persian Empire

4. Cyrus the Great
A tolerant ruler  he allowed different cultures within his empire to keep their own institutions.
The Greeks called him a “Law-Giver.”
The Jews called him “the anointed of the Lord.” (In 537, he allowed over 40,000 to return to Palestine).
580 – 529 B. C. E.

5. Darius the Great (526 – 485 B. C. E.)
First permanent army in Persia.
First highway ever – 1500 miles!
Built Persepolis.
He extended the Persian Empire to the Indus River in northern India. (2 mil. s.q. mi.)
Built a canal in Egypt.
Minted the first coins in Persia!

6. Darius the Great (526 – 485 B.C. E.)
Established a tax-collecting system.
Divided the empire into districts called SATRAPIES.
Ruled by SATRAPS.
Built the great Royal Road system.
Established a complex postal system.
Pushed kingdom as far as Greece but could never conquer it.
Created a network of spies called “the King’s eyes and ears.”

7. Ancient Persepolis

8. Persepolis

9. The People of Persepolis

10. Persian “Royal Road”

11. Persian Archers & Soldiers

12. Xerxes and Decline
Xerxes, Darius’s son, tried to invade Greece (as his father did) and failed (as his father did.
Served as their last strong ruler.
Conquered by Alexander the Great (a Greek, oh the irony) in c. 330 BCE.

13. Zarathustra [Zoroaster], 6c BCE: Good Thoughts, Good Deed, Good Words
“Tree of Life”

14. Extent of Zoroastrianism

15. Dualistic Battle of Good vs. Evil
You pick!
Free will
Ahura Mazda “Holy Spirit”
Ahriman “Destructive Spirit”
Dualism – the belief that the world is controlled by two opposing forces, good and evil.

16. Zend-Avesta (The “Book of Law”)
The “Sacred Fire”  the force to fight evil.