I. THE RISE AND FALL OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRES CONTD 2. Cyrus a.
Cyrus the Achaemenid (reigned 558-530bce) b. aka Cyrus the Shepherd
c. tough, wily leader & outstanding military strategist d. led
first Persian Empire 3. Cyruss Conquest a. 558 bce king of Persian
tribes b. 553 bce rebellion against his Median overlord c. 548 bce
all Iran under his control, conquered Babylon d. ruler of empire
that stretched from India to borders of Egypt
Slide 5
I. THE RISE AND FALL OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRES CONTD e. 530 bce
mortally wounded from nomadic raiders 4. Darius a. Cyruss empire
expanded during the reigns of his successors b. Cyruss son Camyses
conquered Egypt c. Darius (reigned 521bce-486bce) extended both
east & west d. largest empire the world had seen e. better
administrator than conqueror f. ruled over 70 distinct ethnic
groups g. communication w/all parts of their realm, created
institutions that allowed them to tax and administer their
territories
Slide 6
Tomb of Cyrus at Pasargadae
Slide 7
I. THE RISE AND FALL OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRES CONTD 5. Persepolis
a. Darius centralized his administration b. Persepolis=new capital
c. administrative center d. lavish halls, royal residences, well
protected treasury e. advisors, ministers, diplomats, scribes,
accountants, translators & bureaucratic officers 6. Achaemenid
Administration: The Satrapies a. central & local initiative b.
governors were agents of central administration and oversaw affairs
in the various regions
Slide 8
Ruins of Persepolis
Slide 9
Stone Carving from Persepolis showing an enthroned Darius
Slide 10
I. THE RISE AND FALL OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRES CONTD c. 23
satrapies districts governed by the satraps d. local officials
filled other jobs below the satrap e. military and tax officers
checked on the local power of the satraps f. eyes and ears of the
king-conducted surprise audits of the provinces & collecting
intelligence reports 7. Taxes, Coins, and Laws a. regularized tax
levies and standardized laws
Slide 11
I. THE RISE AND FALL OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRES CONTD b. replaced
with tribute payments with formal tax levies c. had to pay a
quantity of silver, horses and slaves d. issued standardized coins
which fostered trade e. codified laws of the different subjects
within the region 8. Roads and Communication a. roads across the
realm b. Persian Royal Roads-paved with stone stretched 1600 miles,
took 90 days to travel this road c. organized courier service d.
stations provided fresh horses & food e. pass info from one end
of the road to the other in 2 weeks
Slide 12
I. THE RISE AND FALL OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRES CONTD
Slide 13
e. subject peoples and rulers undermined integrity of the
Achaemenid empire f. Cyrus and Darius were both tolerant g. Xerxes
(reigned 486bce-465bce) had a harder time with these people h.
reputation for cruelty and insensitivity 2. The Persian Wars a.
difficult time w/ethnic Greek subjects b. Ionian Greeks fell under
Persian rule during the reign of Cyrus c. Greeks called the Persian
tyrants d. Greek rebellion caused a series of wars called the
Persian Wars
Slide 14
I. THE RISE AND FALL OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRES CONTD e. 150 years
of intermittent battle occurred between the Persian and Greeks 3.
Alexander of Macedon a. Invades Persia in 334bce b. Military had
heavier arms, more sophisticated tactics c. Battle of Gaugamela-
one year defeated the Persian army and took over the Achaemenid
empire d.. Alexander acted like the legitimate successor and kept
many aspects of the Achaeminid empire (ex. Administrative
structure)
Slide 15
Silver Coin of Alexander of Macedon
Slide 16
I. THE RISE AND FALL OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRES CONTD
Slide 17
2. The Parthians a. maintained customs and traditions of the
steppes people of C Asia b. no centralized govt but a federation of
leaders, got together to organize policy. c. skillful warriors d.
effective means to resist nomadic invasions 3. Parthian Conquests
a. Mithradates I is the greatest conqueror b. Transforms state to a
mighty empire
Slide 18
I. THE RISE AND FALL OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRES CONTD 4. Parthian
Government a. enemies of Seleucids, b. restores Persian traditions
c. followed Achaemenids in structuring their empire d.
responsibility and authority to clan leaders, served as satraps,
built independent bases of power e. internal pressure by satraps
and Romans contributed to the weakening of the Parthians e. 3 rd
century ce the empire declines
Slide 19
Sassanid Empire
Slide 20
II. IMPERIAL SOCIETY & ECONOMY
Slide 21
II. IMPERIAL SOCIETY & ECONOMY CONTD 1. Agricultural
Production a. Barley and wheat 2. Standardized Coins a. Encouraged
economic development and trade b. trade benefited from standardized
coins c. coins were precisely measured metal and guaranteed their
value d. coins were popular and drew merchants from distant lands
e. banks and companies invested in commercial ventures
Slide 22
II. IMPERIAL SOCIETY & ECONOMY CONTD 3. Trade a. Long
distance trade grew rapidly b. linked lands from India to Egypt in
a commercial zone c. each region contributed particular products d.
long distance trade became popular Alexander of Macedon and the
Seleucids
Slide 23
III. RELIGIONS OF SALVATION IN CLASSICAL PERSIAN SOCIETY
Slide 24
III. RELIGIONS OF SALVATION IN CLASSICAL PERSIAN SOCIETY CONTD
2. The Gathas a. Hymns he composed in honor of various deities he
recognized 3. Zoroastrian Teachings a. Ahura Mazda=supreme deity,
eternal, beneficent creator of all good things b. Angra
Mainyu=destructive spirit or hostile spirit c. Ahura Mazda &
Angra Mainyu are adversaries. Forces of good would prevail against
evil and evil would disappear. Human souls undergo judgment and
experience rewards or punishment according to the holiness of their
thoughts, words and deeds
Slide 25
III. RELIGIONS OF SALVATION IN CLASSICAL PERSIAN SOCIETY CONTD
3. Popularity of Zoroastrianism a. did not ask to renounce material
things in the world in to reach heaven b. material world a blessing
c. moral teachings allowed people to enjoy the fruits of the earth
d moral teachings as good faith, good works, good deeds e. Darius
(emperor) associated himself with Ahura Mazda and claimed divine
sanction for their rule
Slide 26
III. RELIGIONS OF SALVATION IN CLASSICAL PERSIAN SOCIETY
CONTD
Slide 27
2. Other Faiths a. Jewish communities existed b. Manichaeism 3.
Influence of Zoroastrianism a. left its mark on other religions of
salvations b. the ideas that developed: omnipotent deity, evil
against the creator, good will prevail, high moral standards,
humans undergo judgment