1. Persian Empire
Persian Empire

2. Persia Becomes an Empire
Persians were nomadic people, they were constantly moving
Persians would often fight other people
The Medes took over Persia and ruled for 150 years

3. Cyrus the Great 550 BC Cyrus II revolted against the Medes
He conquered Medes and started the Persian Empire
Cyrus conquered a lot of Southwest Asia, several Greek cities and Mesopotamia

4. Cyrus the Great
He let the people that he conquered keep their way of life so that they wouldn’t revolt.
When Cyrus died in 529 BC, he ruled over the largest empire the world had ever seen
He is known as Cyrus the Great

5. The Persian Army
Cyrus had a strong army-it was well organized and very devoted to him
His army had a powerful cavalry-soldiers who ride horses
He used his Calvary to charge and
shoot his enemies with arrows
This weakened his enemies and
then his foot soldiers would
attack

6. The Persian Army Grows Stronger
After Cyrus died, his son, Cambyses continued to expand the Persian Empire
He conquered Egypt
Then a rebellion broke out in Persia and Cambyses died
4 days after Cambyses died, a prince named Darius claimed the throne

7. Political Organization
Darius divided the Persian Empire into 20 provinces
Each province had its own governor or satrap that ruled over that province
Satraps collected taxes and acted as judges but Darius was still the ruler
Darius sent officials to the provinces to check on his satraps

8. Persian Society Darius built many roads connecting the empire
The “Royal Road” was 1700 miles long!!
The roads were used to send messages throughout the empire
He built a new capital called Persepolis

9. Persian Society
Persepolis was full of beautiful art- carvings and statues
Darius started a new religion called Zoroastrianism
This religion taught
that there were 2 forces
fighting for control-
good and evil

10. The Persians Fight Greece
499 BC several Greek cities revolted against Persian rule
Greek City states that were not part of the Persian rule, sent soldiers to help the Greek cities fight against the Persians
Persians won the revolt but it made Darius very mad at the Greeks

11. The Battle of Marathon
9 years after the Greeks rebelled, Darius invaded Greece
His army sailed to the plains of Marathon near Athens
This invasion of Greece began a series of wars between the Greeks and Persians, called the Persian Wars

12. The Battle of Marathon Athenian Army had 11,000 soldiers
Persian Army had 15,000 soldiers
The Athenian army won because they had better weapons and leaders
According to legend, a messenger ran from Marathon to Athens-26 miles to tell of the victory

13. The Battle of Marathon cont.
After he told the Athenians the news, he fell to the ground and died
Athletes today recreate the Greek messengers run in 26 mile races called marathons

14. The Second Invasion of Greece
10 years after the battle of Marathon, Darius’ son, Xerxes, tried to conquer Greece again
480 BC the Persian Army and Navy set out for Greece
This time the Sparta joined Athens in fighting the Persians

15. The second invasion cont.
The Spartan army attacked the Persian Army
Athenian Navy attacked the Persian Navy
The Spartan sent soldiers to Thermopylde where the Persians had to cross to get into the Greek City States

16. The second invasion cont.
For 3 days the Spartan army kept the Persian army from crossing into Greek City States
Then the Persians asked a traitorous Greek soldier for a different route into the Greek City States
Persians attacked and killed all Spartan soldiers then attacked and burned Athens

17. The end of the Persian Wars
A few days after Athens was burned, the Athenian Navy defeated the Persian Navy in a battle known as the Battle of Salamis
Then armies from all over Greece beat the Persians in a battle called the Battle of Plataea, this battle ended the Persian Wars
Persians were humiliated and Greeks had saved their homeland!

18. Review Questions
1. What did the Greeks do that made Darius angry and led him to invade the Greeks?
2. Who was the Battle of Marathon between? Who won? Why?
Who joined Athens when Darius’ son, Xerxes, attacked Greece?
How did the Persians get past the Greeks so that they could attack Athens?
Who won the Persian Wars?