1. CHAPTER 6
The Persian Connection: Its Impact and Influences, 2,000 B.C.E C.E.
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2. 1. The Persian Empire
A. Geographic Challenges Confront the First Persians
1. The Iranian plateau and the Central Asian steppes
2. Medes and Persians
3. Assyrian conquest, Assyrian defeat
B. Cyrus the Great
1. Persian ascendancy and expansion
2. Assimilation after conquest
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3. 2. Persian Governance and Society: Links with Mesopotamia
A. From Cyrus to Darius
1. Darius claims the throne
2. Expansion under Darius
B. Administration of the Empire
1. Darius’s style of government
2. Policies
C. Mesopotamian Influences: Law, Administration, and Commerce
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4. 2. Persian Governance and Society: Links with Mesopotamia (cont’d)
D. Persian Society and Culture
1. Social structure
2. The place of women in Persian society
3. Persian culture
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5. 3. Zoroastrianism A. A Religion of Good and Evil
1. Zoroaster (Zarathustra) and monotheism
2. Priests and temples
3. Influence
B. Social and Political Content
1. The importance of action
2. Royal support
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6. 4. Confrontation with Greece
A. The Ionian Revolt and the Persian Response
1. The revolt
2. Defeat and its consequences
B. Xerxes and the Invasion of Greece
C. Stalemate
D. Persian Resurgence
1. The Peloponnesian War
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7. 5. The Macedonian Conquest and Its Successor States
A. The End of the Persian Empire
1. Rising Macedon
2. Alexander the Great
B. Persia Under Macedonian Rule
1. The fall of Alexander’s empire
C. The Parthian Empire
1. Commerce and connections
D. The Sasanian Empire
1. Sasanian expansion
2. Sasanian rule
3. Decline and fall
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8. Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, NJ All rights reserved.
A Persian Soldier
The sculpted figure of a Persian policeman guards the entrance to one of Persia's royal palaces. This stylized image shows the braided hair and beard worn by Persian men, the long pike considerably taller than a man, and the attitude of vigilance and resolution that Persian emperors expected from their soldiers.

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11. of Sumerian culture on Persia.
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The “Cyrus Cylinder”, a damaged clay cylinder completely inscribed with cuneiform writing that shows the influence
of Sumerian culture on Persia.

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14. Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
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Persepolis: the east stairway to the great audience hall of Darius I, showing visiting dignitaries bringing tribute.

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Persians loved objects made of gold or silver, like this silver figurine of an antelope.

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A photograph of the ruins of the entrance to the Palace of Darius in Persepolis.

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18. Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
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Part of a mosaic illustrating the Battle of Issus, in which Darius III (in chariot) led the Persians to defeat against Alexander the Great.

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