1. The Empires of Persia
Chapter 7

2. The Achaemenid Empire
Indo-European migrants to Persia (Iran) – subject to Mesopotamian empires
Pastoral, limited agriculture
Clan-based
Militarily strong – horse-riding archers

3. The Achaemenid Empire (cont.)
558 BCE: Cyrus becomes king of Persian tribes and begins building power and expanding
=> Persian Empire
Cambyses and then Darius continue expansion

4. The Achaemenid Empire (cont.)
Difficult to govern due to size and diversity
-> needed communications and institutions for taxing and administering territories
Built new capital (Persepolis),
Satrapies (admin. and tax districts governed by Satraps; “checks” and spies),
standardized taxes and money, and codified laws,
roads and courier service,
public works (qanats)

5. Decline and Fall of Achaemenid Empire
Diversity was tolerated at first, but under Xeres, Persian identity was flaunted
-> rebellions and resentment, esp. Greeks in Anatolia (Persian Wars – Greeks won at Marathon and kept Persians out of Greece)
Then, Alexander the Great: invaded Persia and won at Gaugamela
Looted, destroyed Persepolis,
took over as ruler, kept
administrative structure

6. The Seleucid Empire
Part of Alexander’s empire, ruled by one of his generals (Seleucus)
Kept admin. system in place, but founded new cities and brought in Greek colonists (Hellenism) -> increased trade and economic development
Opposition from Persians -> lost some land, but lasted until 83 BCE

7. The Parthians
Nomadic warriors from eastern Iran who settled and began agriculture (satrapy)
Decentralized gov’t = federation of leaders
Figured out how to breed bigger horses = military edge
200s BCE: became independent from Seleucids

8. The Parthians (cont.)
By 171 BCE, became an empire and by 155 BCE, controlled all of Iran into Mesopotamia
Restored Persian traditions of administration, but kept some steppe traditions (clan leaders)
By 2nd century CE, pressure from Roman Empire and internal conflict => weakening and collapse

9. The Sasanids
224 CE: defeated the Parthians, established strong rule and rebuilt admin. system
Increased trade, introduced new crops
Created buffer states against Romans
Conflict with other empires to east and west => weakening
651 CE: defeat by Arabs
(but, cultural elements
continued)

10. Imperial Society and Economy
Early social structure: warriors, priests, peasants
As empire formed: required lots of educated bureaucrats
Slaves: POWs and debtors, domestic servants, farmers, public works
Free classes:
city – artisans, merchants,
priests/priestesses
countryside – landed peasants, and
tenant farmers (also maintained irrigation system)

11. Economic Foundatinos of Classical Persia
Agriculture: barley and wheat, surplus
State-owned farms – supported imperial bureaucracy and satraps
Long-distance trade expanded <- stability, prosperity, money, trade routes, markets
Regional specialization
Trade with Mediterranean
increased (cultural diffusion)

12. Religions of Salvation in Persia
Early: similar to Aryans
Empire: adapted to cosmopolitan society
Zoroastrianism: teachings of Zarathustra (the Gathas)
Ahura Mazda = supreme deity and creator, in conflict with Angra Mainyu (evil spirit)
When good prevails, souls will be judged and sent to “heaven” or “hell”
Appreciation of material world and with honesty

13. Zoroastrianism (cont.)
Gained followers (esp. elites) and built temples, priesthood, rituals, calendar, teachings
Darius claimed divine sanction of Ahura Mazda
No organized effort to spread the religion

14. Religion in Persia
Alexander the Great destroyed temples and killed magi (priests)
Parthians used it to gain support
Sasanids revived it: wrote texts (Avesta)
Conquered by Islamic empire: pressure on temples -> some fled to India, most converted to Islam
Big influence on other faiths (Judaism, Christianity, Islam): moral standards, good vs. evil, judgement, future rewards and punishments,