2. Learning Target 7e: Indicate the influence of cultural factors including customs, traditions, language, media, art, and architecture in societies. Today’s Goal: What qualities and accomplishments made the Persians a great empire?

4. Region had fertile land Minerals such as copper, lead, gold, silver, blue lapis lazuli Thriving trade with neighboring peoples Lapis lazuli head of a statue Persian gold bangle

5. Other Civilizations - Assyrians Capital of Nineveh Ashurbanipal’s library Great conquerors Harsh & violent

6. Other Civilizations - Chaldeans Neo-Babylonians Nebuchadnezzar – rebuilt Babylon Hanging Gardens

7. Parts of Babylon have been rebuilt by Saddam Hussein

8. Rebuilt by Saddam Hussein

9. Iraq

10. Ishtar Gate of Babylon

11. Other Civilizations - Median Empire The Medes (yellow) had strongest empire until Persians

12. Cyrus the Great Military genius & conqueror Tolerant ruler – honored local customs & religion The Greeks called him a “Law-Giver” The Jews called him “the anointed of the Lord.” (In 537 BC, he allowed over 40,000 to return to Palestine)

13. Cyrus’ Cylinder – Human Rights Religious, racial, linguistic equality Destroyed temples restored Slaves & deported ppl returned home

14. Cyrus was killed fighting nomadic invaders in 530 BC

15. King Cambyses, son of Cyrus

16. Cambyses succeeded by Darius Member of the Ten Thousand Immortals (the King’s body guard) Put down rebellions, brought peace & stability Expanded the empire from Indus River in the east to Egypt & Anatolia in the west - However, Darius failed in capturing Greece

17. Persian Achaemenid Empire

18. Darius the Great’s Empire Divided empire into provinces Each province had satrap (governor) –Local tax collector & military leader –Own religion, language “King’s Eyes & Ears” – spies to “check up” on satraps

19. Accomplishments of Darius Canal in Egypt Complex postal system Manufactured metal coins

20. Accomplishments of Darius Royal Road – from Susa to Sardis

21. Accomplishments of Darius Built Persepolis – capital of the Achaemenid Empire

22. Aerial view of Persepolis

23. Persepolis – Griffin sculpture Persepolis – Gate of All Nations

24. Persian Soldier

25. Ancient Persepolis

26. Persian dignitaries

27. Persepolis

28. Persian Archers & Soldiers

29. Necropolis – royal tombs

30. Named after Persian religious reformer Zoroaster Represented by the sacred light / flame Persian religion = Zoroastrianism Tree of life6 th cent. BC

31. Struggle between spirits of good and evil Ahura Mazda – Persian god of light & goodness Symbol representing the soul of man Wings, the soul’s ability to soar to the highest of states Tail feathers, the will that guides the flight of the soul through choices

32. Dualistic Battle of Good vs. Evil Ahura Mazda “Holy Spirit” Ahriman “Destructive Spirit”

33. Extent of Zoroastrianism

34. Zend-Avesta (The “Book of Law”) The “Sacred Fire”  the force to fight evil. “To make him who is an enemy a friend; to make him who is wicked righteous; and to make him who is ignorant learned.”

35. Relief sculpture of Ahura Mazda

36. King Darius and the seal of Ahura Mazda in the mist

37. Papyrus of Zoroaster Temple of Zoroaster

38. Zoroastrianism declined after the Muslims conquered Persia in 600s AD - Aspects of the religion spread through the Roman Empire and remain in moderncountries such as Iran and India - Today, followers of Zoroastrianism are known as Parsis The Persians preserved ideas from earlier civilizations and helped to preserve those cultures for the future Symbol for the Parsi Zoroastrian Association

39. Today’s Goal: What are the requirements of a great empire? How and why did the Persian Empire succeed?

40. Legacies of Persian Empire Preserved ideas from earlier civilizations Tolerance & order Respect for all cultures New ways of trade