1. Greece and Iran, B.C.E.

3. Ancient Iran, 1000–500 B.C.E. Geography and Resources
Mountainous edges; salty interior deserts; sloping plateaus
limited natural (water/food) resources = limited population; plentiful but underexploited mineral resources
The Rise of the Persian Empire
Cyrus (r BCE) – Anatolia (Lydia) & Mesopotamia
Cambyses (r BCE) – Egypt, Nubia, & Libya
Darius (r BCE) – Indus Valley & Europe (Thrace)
Imperial Organization
20 provinces/20 “satraps”
Royal roads and garrisons
Opulent Royal Court
Susa & Persepolis
Ideology and Religion
Propaganda contrasts with that of Assyrians; emphasizes cooperation and abundance
Zoroastrianism

6. The Rise of the Greeks, 1000–500 B.C.E.
Geography and Resources
Homogeneous climate but varied terrain: limited arable land in south, greater agricultural production in north
Little timber & few metal deposits; abundance of stone & clay
Coastline includes many natural harbors; overland travel difficult
The Emergence of the Polis
“Archaic” period following “Dark Age” (ca BCE) included:
Greek alphabet & increased population densities
Emergence of the independent polis, which featured an acropolis and agora
Hoplite defense forces; citizen militias
Safety valve “colonies”
Hellenes vs. Barbaroi
Coinage
Land-based aristocracies replace kings; rise of tyrants
Anthropomorphic deities with power over nature
State-sponsored festivals involving sacrifice

7. New Intellectual Currents
Poetry emphasizing individuality
Flowering of Natural Philosophy
Prose-based Logography
Herodotus as the “father of history”
Athens and Sparta
Spartan military state; isolationist and centered in Peloponnese
Athenian society’s evolving “democracy”; located in Attica

10. The Struggle of Persia and Greece, 546–323 B.C.E.
Early Encounters
Ionic Rebellion ( BCE)
Spartan-led Hellenistic League ( BCE)
Athenian-led Delian League (ca BCE)
The Height of Athenian Power
Imperialist naval power (Trireme) based in Pireaus
Greek philosophy: Socrates, Plato (The Academy), & Aristotle (The Lyceum)
Transition from oral to literary culture

11. Inequality in Classical Greece
Democratic participation extended to free adult males of pure Athenian ancestry
Exploitation of Slaves
Position of women varied greatly across Greece but males had absolute authority over households
Failure of the City-State and Triumph of the Macedonians
Peloponnesian War ( BCE)
Phillip II of Macedonia (r BCE)
Alexander the Great ( BCE)

13. The Hellenistic Synthesis, 323–30 B.C.E.
The Hellenistic Kingdoms
Seleucid = Western Asia
Ptolemies = Egypt and Palestine
Alexandria
Antigonids = Macedonia