Vocabulary Words
1.
2.
3.
4.
Mountain – bundok
Valley – lambak
Plain – kapatagan
Sea – dagat
Classical Societies: Persia
Rise of the Persian Empire
• The empire of Persia
arose in Iran around the
6th century B.C.E.
• The Medes and the
Persians migrated from
central Asia to Persia
(SW Iran).
• For a time, they lived
under Babylonian and
Assyrian rule.
Rise of the Persian Empire
• The Medes and Persians
spoke Indo-European
languages.
• They were part of the
larger Indo-European
migrations.
• They shared many traits
with distant cousins, the
Aryans.
• They were mostly
pastoralists.
• They were organized into
clans rather than states.
Rise of the Persian Empire
• The Medes and Persians
had considerable military
power.
• They were expert
equestrians like other
steppe people.
• They were expert archers
even on horses.
• They often raided the
people of Mesopotamia.
Rise of the Persian Empire
• When the Assyrians and
Babylonian empires
weakened in the 6th
century B.C.E., the
Medes and Persians
launched their military
campaign.
The Achaemenid Empire
• Cyrus the Achaemenid
(558-530 B.C.E.)
- from SW Iran
- called Cyrus the Shepherd
- Established first Persian
Empire
- Called Achaemenid after
Cyrus’ clan.
- king of the Persian tribe
located in a mountain
fortress near Pasargadae
Cyrus’s Persian Empire
• Cyrus the Achaemenid (558530 B.C.E.)
- Initiated a rebellion against
Median overlord
- By 548 B.C.E., all of Iran was
under his control.
- He conquered Anatolia
(modern-day Turkey), central
Asia, and Bactria (modern day
Afghanistan).
- Within 20 years, his empire
stretched from India to the
border of Egypt.
The Achamenid Empire
• Cyrus’s son Cambyses
conquered Egypt later and
brought its wealth into
Persian hands.
• The actions of this King
caused rebellion to occur in
the Persian empire.
• He ruled for 8 years before
dying.
• After dying he left the
thrown to his heir Darius.
The Achaemenid Empire
Darius the Great (521-486
B.C.E.)
• Built the largest empire the
world had ever seen.
• He was known for being a
great administrator.
• The Achaemenid Empire
had more than 70 different
ethnic groups.
• He established an empire
that provided for
communication throughout.
The Achaemenid Empire
Darius the Great (521486 B.C.E.)
• Centralized
administration
• Built capital at
Persepolis near
Pasargadae
–
–
–
–
Reception halls
Royal residences
Military quarters
treasury
Persepolis: Aerial View
Carving of Persian Soldiers at
Persepolis
Ancient Texts at Persepolis
Persepolis
Persepolis was the
administrative center
and monument to the
dynasty.
Bustled with ministers,
advisors, diplomats,
scribes, accountants,
translators and
bureaucratic officers.
Political Structure of Darius’s Empire
• Balance between strong
central power and local
administration
• Governors were appointed
to oversee various regions.
• Twenty-tree administrative
and taxation districts
governed by satraps
• Most satraps were Persian
but local officials were
recruited for some
administrative posts.
Political Structure of Darius’s Empire
• Regulated tax by
standardizing laws.
• Each satrapy had to pay a
set quantity of silver to the
imperial court.
• He standardized coins which
encouraged trade.
• He did not interfere with
local laws but he sometimes
modified them to make the
empire run more smoothly.
Persian Royal Road
• Construction began during
the Achaemenid Empire.
• Parts were paved with stone.
• Stretched 1600 miles from
Aegean Sea to Anatolia,
through Mesopotamia to the
capital of Persepolis in Iran.
• It took caravans 90 days to
travel this road, lodging at
inns along the well-policed
route.
Persian Royal Road
• Courier service with 111
postal stations 25 to 30
miles apart on the Royal
Road
• Each station had a supply of
horses for couriers.
• This system facilitated trade
with various regions.
Xerxes
• Xerxes was a powerful king of the Persian
Empire. He was focused on conquering the
city states of Greece during his reign as king.
• Xerxes was the son of Darius and he ruled
from 486 BC to 465 BC.
• Xerxes devoted his reign to attempting to
conquering Greece.
– Greece was considered Persia’s main
threat.
• Xerxes crossed the Hellespont with his army
and then ordered a bridge to be built, which
was destroyed in a storm.
As a result, Xerxes is said to have crossed
the river by chariot on a bridge of boats.
Xerxes
• In 480 BC, Xerxes led his sea forces to the victory in defeating
Sparta in the Battle of Thermopylae.
They were even able to sack Athens.
• The Greeks won against the Persian Navy in 479 BC in the straits
of Salamis.
• When rebellion broke out in Babylon, however, Xerxes rushed
abate the issue.
The army left behind was defeated in 479 BC at the battle of
Plataea.
• Greece had officially defeated the Persian Empire.
• Xerxes was assassinated in 465 BC.
The assassin is believed to have been one of his generals.
Fall of the Achaemenid Empire
•Cyrus and Darius had policies of
tolerance.
•They respected values and
beliefs of the people they ruled.
•Darius’s successor, Xerxes (486465 B.C.E.), flaunted his Persian
identity and imposed his values
on conquered lands.
•This created ill will, especially in
Mesopotamia and Egypt.
Fall of the Achaemenid Empire:
The Persian Wars (500 – 479 B.C.E.)
•Ethnic Greeks in Ionian cities
in Anatolia resented the Persian
governors who oversaw their
affairs.
•They rebelled, expelling or
executing their governors.
•This rebellion launched a series
of conflicts known as the
Persian Wars.
Important battle
• The legendary Battle of Thermopylae.
– It is believed that the Persians had
200,000 men on land and 1,000 on ships.
Sparta was only able to send 300 men due
to a religious festival taking place.
– King Leonidas of Sparta tried to even out
the numbers by fighting in a narrow pass
called the Hot Gates in Thermopylae in
the northeastern coast of Greece.
• They were aided by the help of
soldiers from other city-states.
– At first, the Spartans stood up well to the
lightly armed Persians. However, Xerxes
found out about the Hot Gates.
– The other soldiers abandoned the battle,
but the 300 Spartans remained. Though
they fought bravely, all 300 were killed.
Fall of the Achaemenid Empire:
The Persian Wars (500 – 479 B.C.E.)
•For 150 years, the Persian empire
sparred with the Greek cities.
•The Greek cities were too small
and disunited to pose a serious
threat to the Persian empire.
•The standoff ended with the rise
of Alexander of Macedon or
Alexander the Great.
Fall of the Achaemenid Empire:
Alexander the Great
•In 334 B.C.E. Alexander invaded
Persia with an experienced army of
48,000 Macedonians.
•The Macedonians were welldisciplined and carried heavier arms
with more sophisticated military
tactics.
•Alexander confiscated the wealth in
the treasury at Persepolis, proclaimed
himself heir to the Achaemenid
rulers and burned the city.
Fall of the Achaemenid Empire
•After Alexander’s death:
•His chief generals divided the
empire into three large realms
which they divided among
themselves:
•The Seleucids
•The Parthians
•The Sasanids
The Seleucids
•The former Achaemenid
empire went to Seleucus, a
commander in Alexander’s
army.
•He retained the Achaemenid
system of administration,
taxation, imperial roads, and
postal service.
• Founded new cities and
attracted Greek colonists to
occupy them.
The Seleucids
• The Seleucids had conflicts with native Persians,
especially the ruling classes.
• The Satraps often revolted against Seleucid rule.
• The Seleucids lost their holdings in northern India.
• The semi-nomadic Parthians took over Iran during the
third century B.C.E.
The Parthians
•Established strong empire in
Iran and extended to
Mesopotamia.
•Maintained many of the
customs of the nomadic
people from steppes of central
Asia.
•Loosely organized into
federation of leaders who met
in councils.
•Skilled warriors.
The Parthians
•Improved grazing methods for
horses which created stronger
horses that could support soldiers
with heavy armor.
•This development enabled them
to fight off nomads from the
steppes.
•The Parthians revolted against
the Seleucids in the third century
B.C.E. and by 155 B.C.E. had
taken firm control of Iran to
Mesopotamia.
The Parthians
• Followed example of the Achaemenids in
running empire.
• Maintained elements of their own steppe
traditions.
• Government not as centralized.
• Most authority rested in hands of clan
leaders who often served as satraps who
worked to build independent bases of power
in their regions.
• For three centuries, Parthians presided over
powerful empire between India and
Mediterranean.
The Sasanids
•Claimed they were direct descendants of the Achaemenids.
•Conquered the Parthians in 224 C.E. and ruled until 651 reinstating
much of the splendor of the Achaemenid empire.
•Rebuilt strong system of administration.
•Refurbished numerous cities.
•Merchants traded actively with people from east to west.
•Introduced rice, sugarcane, citrus fruits, eggplant, and cotton.
•Created buffer states between themselves and Roman empire.
Persian Classical Society
•In the early days of the Achaemenid
empire, Persian society reflected its
origins on the steppes of central Asia.
•Family and clan relationships were
extremely important in political and
social affairs.
•Male warriors were the head of
the clans.
•The development of a
cosmopolitan empire complicated
this structure.
Persian Classical Society
•Imperial administration called for a
new class of educated bureaucrats.
•This undermined old warrior elite.
•Persian cities were home to
administrators, tax collectors, record
keepers, translators, and high ranking
officials.
•Bureaucrats shared power with
warriors and clan leaders.
Persian Classical Society
•Clan Leaders and Bureaucrats
•Free Classes
•Artisans
•Craftsman
•Merchants
•Priests and Priestesses
•Low ranking civil servants
•Slaves
Technological Developments
of Persian Society
•Qanat – underground canals allowed
cultivators to distribute water to fields
without losing large quantities to
evaporation through exposure to the
sun and open air.
•Elaborate qanat system was
maintained by slaves and laborers in
the countryside.
Economic Developments of
Persian Society
•Agriculture was the foundation.
•Resources from Mesopotamia, Egypt, Anatolia and northern India
helped Persia prosper.
•Barley and wheat were the most commonly cultivated crops.
•Peas, lentils, garlic, onions, pomegranates, pears, and apricots
supplemented the cereals in diets.
•Beer and wine were the most common beverage.
Economic Developments of
Persian Society
•Long-distance trade grew rapidly.
•Standardized of coins
•Availability of good trade routes.
•Newly constructed highways such as
the Persian Royal Road.
•Sea routes through the Red Sea, Persian
Gulf, and Arabian Sea
•Cities like Babylon were home to banks.
Trade in Persia
•From India: gold, ivory, aromatics
•From Iran and Central Asia: lapis lazuli, turquoise and other stones
•From Mesopotamia: textiles, mirrors and jewelry
•From Anatolia: gold, silver, iron, copper and tin
•From Arabia: spices and aromatics
•From Egypt: grain, linen textiles, papyrus writing materials, gold, ebony,
ivory
•From Greece: oil, wine, and ceramics
Early Persian Religion
•Celebrated natural elements and geographical features, i.e. the
sun, the moon, the water, and especially fire.
•Recognized many of the same gods as the Aryans
•Priests performed sacrifices similar to those conducted by the
brahmins in India.
•Used hallucinogenic agent called haoma in the same way
Aryans used soma
Zoroastrianism
•Attempt to address moral questions in
a cosmopolitan world.
•Zarathustra, priest from aristocratic
family, left family at 20 yeas of age to
seek wisdom.
•He experienced visions and became
convinced that the supreme god had
chosen him as a prophet to spread
message.
The Gathas
•Originally transmitted orally by priests
or magi.
•During Seleucid dynasty, magi began
to preserve in writing.
•Hymns composed in honor of the
various deities.
•Treatises on moral themes.
•
Zoroastrian Teachings
•Not strict monotheists
•Recognized a supreme deity and
creator of all good things.
•Spoke of six lesser deities.
•Explored battle between good and
evil, as well as judgment, reward,
punishment, heavenly paradise,
demons, and place of pain and
suffering.
•Encouraged enjoyment of earthly
pleasures in moderation.
Zoroastrian
•Attracted large numbers during 6th century
B.C.E.
•Popular with Persian aristocrats and ruling
elites.
•Wealthy supported the building of temples.
•Large priesthood emerged and taught
Zoroastrian values through oral
transmission.
•Darius and other emperors closely
associated themselves with Ahura Mazda,
the Zoroastrian deity.
•Darius did not suppress other religious
practices, however.
Zoroastrian
•Attracted large numbers during 6th century
B.C.E.
•Popular with Persian aristocrats and ruling
elites.
•Wealthy supported the building of temples.
•Large priesthood emerged and taught
Zoroastrian values through oral
transmission.
•Darius and other emperors closely
associated themselves with Ahura Mazda,
the Zoroastrian deity.
•Darius did not suppress other religious
practices, however.