Ancient Persia & Ancient Greece
Agenda
• Persian Empire
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Politics
Economics
Military
Religion
• Ancient Greece
• Significance of Ancient
Greece in W. Civ.
• Geography
• Vocabulary
• Politics
• Economics
• Religion
• Philosophy
Persian Empire
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Politics: “King of Kings” & satraps
Economics: trade, tribute, taxes
Military: 10,000 Immortals
Religion: Zoroastrianism
• Often seen through Greek eyes….
Persian Empire (ancient)
“King of Kings”
King Darius
“King of Kings”
Persian military
• 10,000 Immortals
• Meritocracy
• Very large army
Cataphracts
= Persian
knight
Trade, tribute, & taxes in Persia
Persian economy
• Gold daric & silver shekels standardized
• Royal Road:
• 1700 miles from Sardis to Susa
• “neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor darkness…”
(Herodotus)
• International trade
Zoroastrianism
• Zoroaster (6th c. BC)
• Reformer against
sacrifice, intoxicants
• Ahura Mazda vs.
Ahriman (dualism)
• Alternatively known
as Parsiism.
• Magi
Farohars are powerful, holy guardian spirits who aid the god Ahura Mazda since His
creation of the universe. Somewhat akin to angels. Farohars can also curse when
they are offended.
Zoroastrian Magus
Ancient Greece
Why Greece Matters
• In groups of 3-4, brainstorm for 3 minutes
about why Ancient Greece is important in
the history of Western Civilization. Both
broad themes and specific examples:
– E.g., “Olympics: discus, marathon, javelin,
heptathlon; int’l festival every 4 years.”
• DON’T use your textbook; DO discuss it
with each other.
Geography of Ancient Greece
Politics in Greece
• Small, urban,
independent citystates (poleis)
• Farmer-citizen-soldier
• Experimentation w/
different forms of
government
– Tyranny
– Oligarchy
– Democracy
Economics in Greece
• Colonization of
Mediterranean Sea
(see map of “Magna
Grecia” in Noble, p.
73)
• Olives, grapes,
wheat, plus maritime
trade
Religion in Greece
• Polytheistic
• Oracles and
divination
• Human gods/godlike
humans
Philosophy
• Rational > spiritual
• Natural science and
humankind = focus
Vocabulary to Know
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Polis
Phalanx
Ephors
Oligarchy
Arete
Agora
Hoplite
Philosophy
Acropolis
Helot
Tyrant
ostracism