Name__________________________________________Date___________Class_______Period_____Quaestio:________________________________________________________________________________

NuncAgenda:A Dangerous Baby?Could a newborn infant be a threat to a king? Accordingtoanancientlegend,thebabywhogrewuptobeKingCyrustheGreatofPersiawasindeedathreat.Cyrus,thelegendsays,wasthegrandsonofAstyages,kingoftheMedes.Theking’sdaughterhadmarriedCambyses,aprinceofthePersians,apeopletheMedeshadconquered.Shortlyafterthecouple’sfirstson,Cyrus,wasborn,thekinghadadreamthatthebabywouldgrowuptooverthrowhim.Afraidthedreamwouldcometrue,heorderedhisservantstokillyoungCyrus.Notwantingtokillahelplessbaby,oneoftheservantstookCyrusoutofthecityandgavehimtoanoldshepherdtoraise.Undertheshepherd’scare,CyrusgrewtobeacleverandcapableleaderwhowantedtofreehispeoplefromrulebytheMedes.Whenhereachedadulthood,Cyrusledarebellion,overthrewhisgrandfather,andmadehimselfthenewking.QUESTION:Doyouthinkthislegendistrue?Whyorwhynot?Whydoyouthinkthislegendexists?

Persia and Imperial Rule

Persian Origins • PersianethnicgrouporiginatedinPars,smallareainsouthwestern___________

– Iran(landoftheAryans)isaregionbetweenMesopotamiaandtheIndusValley,whichwasinlatertimesoftencalledPersia

• ThecloseancestorsofthePersians,andotherIranianpeoplesliketheMedes,were_________________________________pastoralnomadswhohadshiftedtosedentarylifebutwerestillclosetotheirnomadicroots

• TotheNorth,theirIraniccousins(Scythians,Sarmatians,Kushans)remained___________________anddominatedtheSteppe

Regional Recap • ThemightyIronAgeempireofthe____________________(911–609BCE)wastoppledbyan

alliancebetweentheChaldeans,Medes,andScythians.• WhiletheChaldeansfoundedtheNeo-BabylonianEmpireinMesopotamia,the_________________

EmpireconqueredallofIran,includingthePersians

Cyrus the Great • 559BCE:_______________theGreatbecamekingofPersia• GrandsonofMedianEmperorthroughmother• RebelledagainstandconqueredMedianEmpire,andthentookover___________________(aka

___________________),includingwealthyLydia,andtheNeo-BabylonianEmpireinMesopotamia• HismilitarycombinedideasfrombothSettledCivilizedEmpireBuildersANDSteppeNomadicTribal

Confederations• Amassedlarge___________________(footsoldiers),includingtenthousandwell-trained

heavily-armoredsoldierscalledtheImmortals• Theirgreateststrengthwasthelargenomadic-style____________________(soldierswith

horses),includingbotharmoredhorseridersandarcherson___________________,whichmovedfasteranddidmoredamage

• “ThearmoredPersianhorsemenandtheirdeathdealingchariotswereinvincible.Nomandaredfacethem.”—Herodotus

• Cyruswasknownforhistolerantrule,whichhelpedhim_______________________(strengthenandmaintain)power

• Forbadehissoldiersfromlootingandburningcities• Allowedconqueredpeoplestokeeptheirlanguage,________________,andreligion,didnot

forcehisonthem• Freedthe____________fromcaptivityinBablyon,allowedthemtoreturntoPalestineand

rebuildtheirHolyTemplein_______________________thattheBabylonianshaddestroyed• CyrusmentionedintheBible:“ThisisthewordofCyruskingofPersia:TheLordtheGodof

heavenhasgivenmeallthekingdomsoftheearth,andhehimselfhaschargedmetobuildhimahouseatJerusaleminJudah.ToeverymanofhispeoplenowamongyouIsay,Godbewithhim,andlethimgouptoJerusaleminJudah,andrebuildthehouseoftheLordtheGodofIsrael,theGodwhosecityisJerusalem.”—HebrewBible(Ezra1:2-3)

• CulturalTolerancemadegood_______________________sense• Largeempiresare__________________,withtherulingethnicityandcultureintheminority• Previoussedentaryempires(Assyrians,Neo-Babylonians)oftenforcedtheirwilluponthose

theyconqueredtoshowdominance,creatinghatred• Cyrusfollowedthe______________________modelofnomadicconfederations,which

madetheconqueredpeoplemoreacceptingofhisruleandlesslikelytorebel

Darius the Organized

• CambysesIIsucceededhisfatherCyrusandconqueredEgypt,butwasnottolerantandfaced___________________________

• DariusIsoonrosetobecomethenewemperor.• HenotonlyconquerednewterritoriesinEurope,theCentralAsianSteppe,andtheIndusValley,

butalsomademanyorganizationaland________________________improvementstotheempire• Developedacentralized_________________________-complexlyorganizedgovernmentwith

manypeople(civilservants)workingindifferentroles• BuiltthecapitalcityofPersepolis• ExpandedthesystemstartedbyCyrusofsatrapies-provincesrunby___________________-

governorsinchargeoflocaladministrationonbehalfofthecentralruler(theemperor)• Sentspiestowatchthemtomakesuretheystayedloyal

• Replacedirregulartributepaymentswithorganizedformaltaxcollectiontofundthegovernment• Furtherorganizedmilitaryandcreatedtheworld’sfirstorganizednavy• Standardized_________________–ideaborrowedfromLydia,facilitatedtradeandgreweconomy• RoadNetwork

• ___________________________stretchedfromSusainIrantoSardisinWesternAnatolia• Enabledswiftmovementoftroops• _________________servicetosendinformationviarelaymessengersonhorses• Facilitatedtrade

• Increasedspectacleandceremonyaroundthepositionofemperor(self-aggrandizement)• Worerobesandjewels• Requiredvisitorstobow• CalledhimselfShahanshah-___________________________

Questions:Workasagrouptogiveatleastoneexampleinthesummarychartandanswerthethree

AP-stylemultiplechoicequestions.BesuretodiscussWHYyouarechoosingeachanswer.

Cyrus DariusHowdidheexpandhispower?

Howdidheconsolidatehispower?

TributebearersfromlandssubjecttoAchaemenidrulebringrams,horses,andfabricstotheimperialcourtatPersepolis.Representativesoftwenty-threelandsofferedtributeattheimperialnewyearfestival.1.TheinteractionsdepictedintheimagebestreflectevidenceofthedevelopmentofthecityofPersepolisas

Aamagnetforritualsofareligiousnature.Bapowerfulmilitaryoutpost.Cacenterofculturaldiversity.Dahubofadministrativeactivity.

2.Thebearingoftribute,asdepictedintheimage,ledmostdirectlytowhichofthefollowingdevelopmentsunderAchaemenidrule?

ATheabolishmentofexistingregionallawsBTheestablishmentandcollectionoftaxleviesCThelossoflocalethnicidentitythroughassimilationDThederegulationofforeigncurrency

3.Thesubjects,suchasthoseshownalongthewallintheimage,weremostlikelyabsorbedintotheempirethroughwhichofthefollowing?

AImprovementsinroadsandcommunicationsBLaboringonpublicworksprojectsCStandardizationofthelegalsystemDDirectrulebyregionalgovernors