1. Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 1 Chapter 7 The Empires of Persia

2. Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 2 Achaemenid Empire (558-330 BCE) Migration from central Asia, before 1000 BCE  Indo-Europeans Cyrus (r. 558-530 BCE) founder of dynasty  “Cyrus the Shepherd” Peak under Darius (r. 521-486 BCE)  Ruled Indus to the Aegean  Capital Persepolis

3. Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. Darius I 3

4. Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 4

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6. 6 Achaemenid Administration: The Satrapies 23 Administrative divisions Satraps Persian, but staff mostly local System of spies, surprise audits  Minimized local rebellions Standardized currency for taxation purposes Massive road system; postal service

7. Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 7 Technologies Qanat: System of underground canals  Avoided loss by evaporation Standard coinage Extensive roads  Persian Royal Road 1,600 miles, some of it paved Couriers, armies, merchants

8. Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 8 Decline of the Achaemenid Empire Policy of tolerance under Cyrus & Darius  Jews freed from slavery  Rebuilding of Temple in Jerusalem Xerxes (486-465 BCE) attempts to impose Persian stamp on satrapies Increasing public discontent

9. Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 9 Persian Wars (500-479 BCE) Rebellious Greeks in Ionia  Peninsular Greeks join in Persians defeated at Marathon (490 BCE), retreated Alexander the Great conquered Persia, 334-331 BCE

10. Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 10 Seleucid Empire Alexander the Great died suddenly Generals divided empire  Persia went to Seleucus (r. 305-281 BCE) Seleucid Empire  Attacked by rebellion in India, invasion of Parthians

11. Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 11 The Achaemenid and Selucid empires, 558-83 B.C.E.

12. Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 12 Parthian Empire Parthians drive Seleucus out of Persia  Semi-nomadic  Especially strong cavalry Weakened by ongoing wars with Romans Fell to internal rebellion

13. Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 13 Sasanid Empire (224-651 CE) Claimed descent from Achaemenids Continual conflicts with Rome, Byzantium in the west, Kush in the east Overwhelmed by Arab conquest in 651 Persian administration and culture absorbed into local Islamic culture

14. Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 14 The Parthian and Sasanid empires, 247 B.C.E.-651 C.E

15. Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 15 Persian Society Early steppe traditions  Warriors, priests, peasants  Family/clan kinship very important Creation of bureaucrat class with Empire  Tax collectors  Record keepers  translators

16. Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 16 Slave Class Prisoners of war, conquered populations Debtors  Children, spouses also sold into slavery Mostly domestic servitude  Some agricultural labor, public works

17. Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 17 Persian Economy Several areas exceptionally fertile Long-distance trade flourishes  Due to Persian roads Goods from India especially valued

18. Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 18 Zoroastrianism Early Aryan influences on Persian religious traditions Zarathustra (late 7 th -early 6 th c. BCE) Priests of Zarathustra known as Magi Oral teachings until Sasanids  Gathas, sscred text, composed

19. Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 19 Fortunes of Zoroastrianism Under Alexander:  Massacre of Magi  burned Zoroastrian temples Weak Parthian support Major revival under Sasanids  persecution of non-Zoroastrians Discrimination under Islam

20. Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 20 Other Religious Groups in Persia Major Mesopotamian communities of Jews Composition of the Talmud, c. 500 CE  “constitution of Judaism” Buddhism and Christianity survived