The Persian Empire
Chapter 2 Section 4
Pages 50-55
The Persian Empire
Main Idea
The Persians formed one of the largest and best
governed empires in the ancient world and made
great cultural achievements.
What you will learn
Who shaped the growth and organization of the Persian
Empire?
• What were the main teachings of Zoroastrianism?
• What were the most significant Persian achievements?
Growth and Organization
Persia under the Medes
• Both Indo-European tribes
• Medes conquered
Persians
• Persians allowed to keep
their own leaders as long
as they did not rebel
Darius I
• Crushed rebellion after
death of Cyrus’s son
• Strengthened army, empire
• Ceremony and ritual
• Created satraps to help
govern regions
Cyrus the Great
• Defeated Medes in 559 BC
• Expanded Persian Empire
• Freed Jews in Babylon
• Respected by those he
conquered
•
•
•
•
Persia in Decline
Rule of Darius high point of
Persian culture
Son, Xerxes, failed to conquer
Greece
Last strong ruler of Persia
Fell to Alex the Great in 330 BC
Cyrus the Great
Darius 1
Analyze
How did Persia grow and change under
Cyrus and Darius?
Answer(s): expanded rapidly under Cyrus; Darius
also expanded the empire, organized empire into
satraps, minted coins, built roads
Zoroastrianism
During the reigns of Cyrus and Darius, a new religion
called Zoroastrianism took hold, based on the teachings of
Zoroaster.
Teachings
• Ahura Mazda, source of
good
Spread
• Much of Persian Empire
• Ahriman, evil spirit
• Darius worshipped Ahura
Mazda
• Dualism = good and evil
• Other religions discouraged
• Free will
• The Greeks converted the
Persians
• The Avesta
• End of time
• Zoroastrianism almost. But
never completely
disappeared
Analyze
What does Zoroastrianism teach about good
and evil?
Answer(s): that the world is controlled by dueling
forces of good and evil; those who live good lives
will be rewarded; the wicked will be punished
Persian Achievements
Blended Culture
• Cyrus and Darius encouraged cultural unity
• Shared culture led to peace
• People worked together to improve empire
Communication
• Network of high quality roads
• Royal Road = world’s first long highway- Foster
communication
• Horseback messengers in shifts
Art and Architecture
• Animals a common subject
• Persepolis, monument to Persia’s glory
• Greatest example of Persian architecture
Royal Road
Persian art
Analyze
How did Persian roads make communication
faster and easier?
Answer(s): roads linked cities; messengers could
travel across empire in a few days
GROG 2-4 (5 Points)
Summarize Using your notes, fill in the
interactive graphic organizer by listing
the political or religious achievements of
each person named.
The Kingdom of Egypt
Chapter 3 Section 1
Pages 63-70
Bell Ringer 3-1 (5 points)
• Write a paragraph explaining the
governmental changes Darius I made in
the Persian Empire. Be sure to include
details of what he changed about the
government and why he felt those
changes were necessary.
Crash Course
• Ancient Egypt: Crash Course World
History #4 - YouTube
The Kingdom of Egypt
Main Idea
Egypt was one of the most stable and long-lasting
civilizations of the ancient world.
Reading Focus
• How did geography influence Egypt’s early history?
• What achievements were made in the Old Kingdom?
• What happened during the Middle Kingdom?
• What was Egypt like during the New Kingdom?
Egypt
Geography and Early Egypt
• The Nile
– Most important physical feature in Egypt
– 4,000 miles long; flows through the Sahara Desert
• Without the Nile’s waters, no one could live there.
Geography of Egypt
• The Nile flooded every year
– Predictable floodwaters with spring rains
– Left rich, black silt
• Narrow band of fertile soil
• Became home of Egyptian civilization
Geographical Features
Delta
Cataracts
• Egypt’s most fertile soil
• Nile afforded protection
in Nile Delta
itself
• Silt deposits at mouth of
river
• Flowed through
cataracts to the south
• Black Land of rich arable
soil
• Currents and waterfalls
made sailing impossible
• Red Land unlivable but
afforded protection
• Not an easy invasion
route
Two Kingdoms
• First farming villages as early as 5000 BC
• Northern Kingdom, Lower Egypt
– Mild climate; cobra goddess worshipped
• Southern Kingdom, Upper Egypt
– Warmer climate; prayed to a vulture goddess
Unification
• Two kingdoms unified around 3100 BC
• Upper Egypt ruler Menes conquered north
– Founded capital city of Memphis
– Adopted both symbols,
the snake and the vulture
• First of 31 dynasties
Draw Conclusions
How did geography affect where the early
Egyptians lived?
Answer(s): They lived in a narrow strip of fertile
land where they could raise crops. It was
surrounded by inhospitable desert, which would
not easily support life.
The Old Kingdom
Many of the institutions for which the Egyptian civilization
is known were created during the period which began
around 2650 BC.
The Pyramids
Building Pyramids
• Most famous symbols of Egypt
• Took great planning and skill
• Largest located near Giza
• Ordered when kings took the
throne
• Built as tombs for rulers
– Hollow chamber for burial
• Built from the inside out
– Treasures buried with them
• Not built by slaves
– Deadly traps within
• Design changed to smoothsided over time
– Peasants required to work
one month per year
– Professional craftspeople
like architects, artists
The Pharaohs
• The head of the government was the king
• Became known as pharaoh (“great house”)
• Had great power because he was believed to be a god
• Egypt a theocracy, a state ruled by religious figures
Egyptian Bureaucracy
• Pharaoh could not rule Egypt alone
• Aided by bureaucracy, many of whom were pharaoh’s
relatives
• Most powerful official was the vizier
• Hundreds of lesser officials kept Egypt running smoothly
Summarize
What Egyptian institutions were developed
during the Old Kingdom?
Answer(s): a government headed by the
pharaoh, highly structured bureaucracy
The Middle Kingdom
Old Kingdom collapsed around 2100 BC
Warfare, economic strife for almost 200 years
• New dynasty began Middle Kingdom 2055 BC
– Strong leadership brought stability
– Trade with surrounding lands encouraged
• Trade routes not always safe
– Fortresses built along the Nile
– The Hyksos invaded, conquered around 1650
BC
Summarize
How did the Middle Kingdom rise and fall?
Answer(s): new dynasty came to power after
almost 200 years of chaos; brought stability and
economic prosperity; Middle Kingdom fell when
Egypt was invaded by the Hyksos, who conquered
Lower Egypt
The New Kingdom
Hyksos ruled almost 100 years
•Not harsh, but resented
•Defeated by nobles from
Thebes who became new
rulers of Egypt
Securing Egypt
• Egypt could not rely on
geography for protection
• Desert and sea not enough
• Had to build powerful military
First permanent army
• Traditional foot soldiers
• Archers and charioteers
• Adopted weapons from
Hyksos
Created an empire
• Egypt to rule beyond Nile
Valley
• Headed south into Nubia
• Also campaigns east into
Asia
The Reign of Hatshepsut
• Hatshepsut best known for encouraging trade
• Only woman pharaoh
– Wanted to be treated like any other pharaoh
– Dressed like a man, statues of her as a man
Monotheism in Egypt
• Amenhotep IV, 1353
– Worshipped only one god, Aten
– Banned worship of all other gods
• Built temple to Aten at Akhetaten
• The next pharaoh restored worship of traditional gods
Ramses the Great
Egypt expanded empire
• Fought campaigns in Nubia and Syria
• A new foe around 1250 BC
• Hittites invaded from Mesopotamia
Confrontation with Hittites
• Ramses the Great led army
• Accounts of battle vary, but two armies signed truce
• Ramses married Hittite princess and conflict ended
Ramses’ rule
• Reign marked with extravagant splendor
• Built more temples and monuments than other pharaohs
• Many political and artistic achievements
Egypt’s Decline
• Ramses’ successors faced challenges to
authority
• Major invasions of Egypt
– Sea Peoples devastated empires
– Ended Hittite Empire, weakened Egypt’s
control of Syria
• Egypt broke into small states
– Many foreign rulers over next 700 years
– Libyans, Assyrians, Persians, Greeks
– Finally fell to Rome
Sequence
How did Egypt grow and change during the
New Kingdom?
Answer(s): built strong military, created own
empire, increased trade
GROG 3-1 (5 Points)
Using your notes, fill in the interactive graphic organizer by
choosing the event from your notes that you think is most
important, listing it in the second column, and telling why
you think it is so important in the third.
Egyptian Culture
Chapter 3 Section 2
Pages72-79
Bell Ringer 3-2 (5 Points)
• Write a description of an Egyptian burial
chamber as though you were part of the
expedition that discovered it. Remember
to use vivid details in your description.
• ( Hint:)Think Ramses the Great
Egyptian Culture
Main Idea
The ancient Egyptians are famous for their
religion, their burial practices, and their advances
in art, writing and science.
Reading Focus
• What were the main principles of Egyptian religion?
• Why did Egyptians practice mummification and burial?
• What was daily life like in ancient Egypt?
• What advances did Egyptians make in art, writing and
science?
Egyptian Religion
Egyptians worshipped many gods
• Some from the earliest days of the Old Kingdom
• Others like Imhotep added later
• Believed that gods controlled all natural events
Chief gods and goddesses
• God of sun always a key figure, Re in Old Kingdom
• Later linked to sky god, Amon, and known as Amon-Re
• Sun god temple at Karnak the largest ever built in Egypt
Anubis
• The protector of the dead, weighed souls to decide fate
• Light souls had been good in life and were rewarded
• Unworthy souls fed to terrible monster
Osiris, Isis and Horus
• Osiris introduced civilization into Egypt
• Brother Seth killed Osiris, scattered pieces of his body around
Egypt
• Wife Isis reassembled pieces and brought Osiris back to life
• Osiris became new judge of dead, replacing Anubis
Hathor and Thoth
• Hathor was the cow-headed goddess of love
• Thoth was the god of wisdom
• There were also local gods with power over small areas or
single households
Temples and Religious Practices
Temples built to honor, provide homes for gods
Ruins can still be seen in Egypt
• Features
– Decorated with massive statues
– Elaborate paintings, detailed carvings
• Obelisks
– Tall, thin pillars with pyramid-shaped tops
– Made from single piece of stone
– Carved with intricate designs
Temples and Religious Practices
• Rituals to fulfill gods’ needs
– Cleaned and refreshed statue of god daily
– This kept gods alive
– In return gods would bring Egypt prosperity
• Priests had responsibility for care
– Common people had no part in rituals
– Ordinary Egyptians never entered temples
– People did worship gods at annual festivals
Analyze
What religious practices did the Egyptians
follow to honor their gods?
Answer(s): They built temples to honor them and
provide homes for them. In the temples, priests
performed rituals to fulfill the gods' needs.
Mummification and Burial
Central to Egyptian religion was the belief in an afterlife, a land
of the dead where souls would go to live. Because of this belief,
Egyptians developed elaborate rituals regarding death and
burial.
Teachings
• Physical body dies,
releases ka
• Ka was individual’s
personality
• Ka needed food and
drink to survive
• Sought to prevent
decomposition so ka
would not vanish
Mummification
• Developed process
to prevent
breakdown of body
Process
• Internal organs
removed
• Heart left in body
• Mummification
• Body wrapped with
only for kings, royal
linen strips
family at first
• Features painted on
• Process available
mummy to help ka
later to any who
recognize its body
could afford
Burial
Possessions
• Dead Egyptians buried with possessions needed for afterlife
• Food and drink for the ka
• Pharaohs and nobles buried also with treasures and riches
Pharaohs’ tombs
• Filled with statues of servants
• Egyptians thought statues would come to life to serve ka
• Also contained models of animals, chariots and boats
Decorations
• Walls painted with scenes from person’s life
• Walls painted with stories about the gods
• Egyptians believed figures would come to life and maximize ka’s
happiness
Summarize
How did beliefs about the afterlife shape
Egyptian burial practices?
Answer(s): Egyptians believed in an afterlife for
the ka, or life force. The ka needed food and drink
to survive, so both were buried with bodies. Great
care was taken to keep the body from
decomposing so that the ka would not shrivel
away and vanish.
Daily Life
Burial Practices
• Archeologists learned much
from items buried in tombs
• Also learned from images
painted on tomb walls
• Good picture of society,
culture
Social Structure Top Layer
• Highly layered, with pharaoh,
then key officials, priests,
priestesses, scribes, military
leaders, doctors, landowners
• All among wealthiest in
Egypt
Social Structure Bottom
Social Structure Next Level
• Next level included artisans,
craftspeople and merchants
• The people who made and
sold goods used by others
• 90% of society were peasant
farmers
• Sometimes recruited to build
large public works, pyramids
• Recruited also for mines,
army
Daily Life
Slaves
• Slaves were not a large part
of the population
• Most convicted criminals or
prisoners of war
• More slaves in New Kingdom
Home and Family Life
• Varied from class to class
Status
• Egyptian society less rigid
than other ancient
civilizations
• Possible to move up in
society
• Becoming scribe
the fastest
Houses
way to gain status
• Most lived as family units with
father as head of household
• Pharaohs had more than
one wife, most men only one
• Poor families lived in huts
• Pharaohs married sisters to
keep royal blood pure
• Noble families lived in palaces
• Rich families had brick homes
Daily Life
Women and Children
Appearance and Customs
• Woman’s primary duty to
care for home and children
• Egyptians paid close
attention to their appearance
• Egyptian women had more
rights than other civilizations,
could work outside home
• Many shaved heads, wore
wigs, as well as perfume and
makeup
• Could be priestess, own
property, divorce husband
• Clothing of linen and wool
• Few children educated
• Played with wooden toys
• Children wore no clothes
until adolescence
• Enjoyed sports, fishing,
sailing and board games
Contrast
How did life differ for rich and poor
Egyptians?
Answer(s): Rich had large homes, poor might live
in tiny huts; wealthy men wore longer skirts or
robes than peasants; wealthy men and women
often wore gold jewelry.
Art, Writing, and Science
Ancient Egyptian civilization lasted more than 2,000 years and
made many tremendous advances, particularly in art, literature
and science.
Egyptian Art
• Very distinctive and easily
distinguished from art of
other ancient civilizations
• Paintings
–
–
–
–
Detailed and colorful
Stories of gods
Pictures of daily life
Most on walls of tombs,
temples
– Some in manuscripts
Egyptian Statues
• Statues
– Large, imposing
– Most show gods,
pharaohs
– Show power and
majesty
• Great Sphynx, the largest
and most famous
Hieroglyphic Work Sheet
Egyptian Writing
The Egyptians were prolific writers who recorded events in great detail
and composed beautiful songs and stories. However, before they
could create even the simplest tale, they needed a system of writing.
Hieroglyphics
• The main Egyptian writing
system
• Uses picture symbols to
represent objects
• formal writing, stone
monuments, religious texts
• Difficult to learn, time
consuming
Other Systems
• Two other systems for texts that
needed to be written more
quickly
• Hieratic, religious texts
• Demotic, legal and literary
writings
• Simpler and less attractive
• Made on wood, pottery and
papyrus
Egyptians used the pulp of the papyrus plant that grew along the
Nile to make paperlike sheets. Many papyrus scrolls are still
readable today.
Egyptian Writing
Historians could not decipher hieroglyphs
• Rosetta Stone
– Discovered near Nile Delta village of Rosetta in 1799
– Long passages of writing on the broken stone
• Same text in hieroglyphic, demotic and Greek
– Using Greek as guide, hieroglyphs and demotic
meanings revealed
– Unlocked the mystery of Egyptian writing
Egyptian Math
• Egyptians had thorough understanding of basic arithmetic
• Also understood basic principles of geometry
• This along with grasp of engineering helped them build
pyramids
• Buildings still standing, so skills were great
Egyptian Science
• Greatest scientific advances were in medicine
• Egyptians masters of human anatomy
• Doctors treated wounds, performed surgery, used medicines
made from plants and animals
• Prescribed regimens of basic hygiene to prevent illness
Find the Main Idea
What advances did the ancient Egyptians
make in art, writing, and science?
Answer(s): detailed, colorful paintings, large,
imposing statues, developed several writing
systems, grasp of geometry and engineering,
anatomy
GROG 3-2 (5 Points)
• Write 1 page essay comparing and
contrasting Ancient Egyptian Culture with
current cultures in the United States. Use
examples and be descriptive.