The Persian Empire

By: Tammy WongFor Mr. Haskvitz

Founding of the Persian Empire

Cyrus the Great was the founder of the Persian Empire

He conquered the Median kingdom, and brought together the Persian and the Median kingdom, making one united, strong empire.

About the Persian Empire A group of Indo- European tribes, some

nomadic, some settled The first communities in ancient Persia

domesticated animals and planted such crops as wheat and barely

The Persians were known for their hand painted pottery

Empires it conquered The Persian Empire conquered many empires. Some of

them are: Mesopotamia, Egypt, Syria, parts of the Asia Minor, and India

Persia dominated Mesopotamia from 612 BC to 330 BC Around 520 BC Darius I took over the Persian empire and

helped the empire grow more.

Government

The government was called Satrapy: a province or territory governed by a satrap, a Persian governor.

This form of government was similar to the Roman city- states

Persia and Rome’s government are very similar

They both are ruled by republic to sustain their vast, conquered lands

Darius’s new form of government

During his career, Darius created a government, that many other governments modeled themselves after.

The new government included a tax collecting system, allowed locals to keep their own customs and religions and had its own system of roads

It also appointed the Persian Empire with two official capitals, one at Susa and one at Persepolis.

Facts Cyrus, Cambyses, and Darius, created the

largest empire at the time in less than 50 years Since the Empire was so big, it was harder to

unite the empire Rebellions were common Mesopotamian culture continued to thrive in

Hellenistic and Parthian times Darius didn’t only form a new type of

government, he was the ruler who expanded Persia the most

Timeline

1000 B.C. Kingdoms of Media and Parsa founded by migrating Aryans (c.

1000 B.C.) 700 B.C. Achaemenes, first king of Persia (c. 700 B.C.) 600 B.C. Cyrus the Great of Parsa rebels against the Medes and founds

the Persian Empire (559 B.C.) Persia conquers the Medes (550 B.C.) Persia conquers Lydia (547 - 546 B.C.) Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylonia absorbing

Babylon into the Persian empire (539 B.C.) Cyrus the Great of Persia frees the captive Jews from Babylonia

(539 B.C.) Cyrus the Great absorbs Phoenicia into the Persian Empire (539

B.C.) Elam is absorbed into the Persian Empire (538 B.C.) Egypt conquered by the Persians (525 B.C.) Darius I quells a rebellion in Persia and becomes king (522 B.C.)

Timeline continued

500 B.C. Persia, led by Xerxes, invades Greece (480 B.C.) Persians suffer defeat by the Greeks at Plataea and Mycale; Persian

expansion halted (479 B.C.) Egypt overthrows Persian rule (405 B.C.) Cyrus the Younger rebels in Persia, but is defeated by Artaxerxes II at

Cunoxa (401 B.C.) 400 B.C. revolt of Jews against Artaxerxes III in Persia (350 B.C.) Lydia becomes a tributary of Macedon after Persia is conquered by

Alexander the Great (334 B.C.) Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia at Issus (333 B.C.) remants of the Persian Empire fall to Alexander the Great (332 B.C.) Persian capital of Persepolis burned by Alexander the Great (331 B.C.) 500 A.D. war between Byzantium and Persia (539-562 A.D.) war between Byzantium and Persia (572-591 A.D.) 600 A.D. Persians capture Damascus and Jerusalem (614 A.D.) Arabs conquer Persia and Egypt (641 A.D.)

QuestionsQuestions

1.1. Who was the founder of the Persian Who was the founder of the Persian Empire?Empire?

2.2. What are three empires Persian What are three empires Persian conquered?conquered?

3.3. Persia’s government is most like what Persia’s government is most like what other Empire’s government?other Empire’s government?

4.4. Who created a new form of government Who created a new form of government while ruling Persia?while ruling Persia?

5.5. What are the Persians known for?What are the Persians known for?6.6. Which ruler contributed most to the Which ruler contributed most to the

expansion of the Persian empire?expansion of the Persian empire?

Answers1. Cyrus 2. Mesopotamia, India, Asian Minor, Egypt,

Syria and India3. Rome’s4. Darius5. Their hand painted pottery6. Darius