Chapter 4 Continued
 People of Persia lived in what is today Southwestern
Iran.
*Persians were
dominated by
others until
Cyrus the
Great took
command.
 Leader of Persia from 559 B.C. – 530 B.C.
 Took over northern Mesopotamia, Asia
Minor, Syria, and Canaan while in control.
 Leaders who followed Cyrus conquered
Egypt, western India, and Thrace.
 Connected by miles of roads. (Royal Road)
 Darius became leader in 521 B.C.
 Divided Empire in 20 provinces called “satrapies”
 Each was ruled by an official “satrap”
 Satrap: “protector of the kingdom”
 Acted as a tax collector, judge, chief of police,
and head recruiter for the Persian Army
 Athenian army helped Greeks in Asia Minor
rebel against their Persian rulers.
 The Battle of Marathon
 Persians had twice as many soldiers as the
Athenians
 Athenians attacked Persians when they were
unprepared
 Athenian messenger ran around 25 miles
 Darius died in 486 B.C.
 His son, Xerxes, became the Persian King
 Xerxes sent 180,000 troops to attack Athens
 Greeks joined forces
 Sparta sent the most warriors
 Athens provided the navy
 Sparta king Leonidas served as commander
 Greek Strategy: Cut off Persian line for food and
supplies. Stall the Persian army at Thermopylae.
 About 7,000 Greek soldiers held off the Persian
army for 2 days.
 A traitor lead the Persians to a secret mountain
path.
 Leonidas sent most troops to safety, but stayed and
fought with a few hundred others to the death.
 Greeks were able to fight off Persian with navy
long enough for everyone to evacuate Athens.
 Greeks were angry after Athens was burned.
Formed a bigger army and crushed the Persian
army at Plataea. (Northwest of Athens)
 Persia spiraled downward until their eventual
defeat about 150 years later to the Greek conqueror
Alexander the Great.
Ruler
Cyrus
Darius
Xerxes
Accomplishments