The Persian Empire

500 B.C.

Greece Persia

Greek and Persian Empires

The Persian territory was very large, and

needed to be linked by road systems.

The Royal Road was the largest (1500 miles).

The Road connected Persia to Anatolia and had stations along the way for travelers to obtain food, water, and fresh horses.

The Royal Road

Sardis Nineveh Susa

Major Cities

Caspian Sea Black Sea Mediterranean Sea Red Sea Persian Gulf Arabian Sea

Major Bodies of Water

Cyrus

1st King Created an army that grew into the Persian

Empire Under Cyrus’ rule, the empire stretched to be

about the size of the continental United States. Cyrus held his kingdom together by ruling fairly.

Allowed his peoples to keep their own languages, religions, and laws.

Kings

King Cyrus the Great

Darius (522-486 B.C.) Reorganized the government to make it more

efficient. Divided empire into provinces called satrapies. Each satrapy was ruled by a governor called

satrap. Which means defender of the kingdom. Collected taxes, judged legal cases, managed

police, recruited for army.

Kings

King Darius I

The Persians first worshiped many gods

(polytheistic). Then a religious teacher, named Zoroaster,

preached a new monotheistic (having one god) religion.

This religion was called Zoroastrianism. Believed that there was one supreme god:

Ahura Mazda (Wise Lord). Believed there was good and evil in the world

and people were free to pick between the two.

Religion

Symbol of Zoroastrianism

Take out a sheet of paper. Draw a Venn Diagram. Label 1 section “Persia,” the middle “Both,”

and the other section “Greece.” Work with a partner to fill in all three sections

with at least 3 similarities/differences.

Compare and Contrast!

At the beginning of the 400s B.C., the Persians

wanted to expand. Quickly clashed with the Greeks in the

Mediterranean. The two societies were very different. Persians already controlled Greek cities in

Anatolia. Athenians sent warships to help rebels that

were rising up, but Persians stopped the uprising.

Persian Wars

490 B.C. Darius sent a fleet of 600 ships and

an army to invade Greece. Landed in Marathon. Persians outnumbered Greeks, so Greeks

never came to fight. Persians were leaving to attack Athens, then

Greeks attacked as the Persians were leaving and caught Persians by surprise and won.

Marathon

Persian Fleet

480 B.C. Persian King Xerxes attacked

Greece at Thermopylae. Persians won on land, but lost at sea. Athenian fleet ships lured Persian fleet into

strait of Salamis near Athens. Greeks won because their ships were fast and

easy to maneuver. Greek city-states combined forces to make a

larger army, trained, and defeated Persia.

Land and Sea

First you read. Second you annotate. Third you answer the questions with a partner. Make sure you agree before writing anything

down for an answer.

Primary Source

After losses in Greece, Persia faced many

challenges. Couldn’t defend entire empire. Unhappy with government.

High taxes. Disagreement on who should rule.

By 300s B.C. Persia couldn’t defend against any attacks.

Persia ended and a new Greek Empire emerged and extended beyond Persia’s boundaries.

Decline