Title: The%20Empires%20of%20Persia
1The Empires of Persia
- Rise of Persia through the Sasanid Dynasty
2The Persian Empire
3Persian Empires
- Contemporary Iran
- Four major dynasties
- Achaemenids (558-330 BCE)
- Seleucids (323-283 BCE)
- Parthians (247 BCE-224 CE)
- Sasanids (224-651 CE)
4Achaemenid Empire (558-330 BCE)
- Migration of Medes and Persians from central
Asia, before 1000 BCE - Indo-Europeans
- Capitalized on weakening Assyrian and Babylonian
empires - Cyrus (r. 558-530 BCE) founder of dynasty
- Cyrus the Shepherd
- Peak under Darius (r. 521-486 BCE)
- Ruled Indus to the Aegean
- Capital Persepolis
5Cyrus the Great
- A tolerant ruler ? he allowed different
cultures within his empire to keep their own
institutions. - The Greeks called him a Law-Giver.
- The Jews called him the anointed of the
Lord. (In 537, he allowed over 40,000 to
return to Palestine).
580 529 B. C. E.
6Tomb of Cyrus the Great
Iranian artists rendition of Cyrus the Great
7The Cyrus Cylinder, sometimes described as the
"first charter of human rights"
8Darius I (the Great)
As portrayed on a Greek vase
9 Darius the Great (526 485 B. C. E.)
- Built Persepolis.
- He extended the Persian Empire to the
Indus River in northern India. (2 mil. sq.
mi.) - Built a canal in Egypt. Precursor to the
modern-day Suez Canal
10Persepolis
11Persepolis
Gate of Xerxes at Persepolis
12Persepolis
13Persepolis
14Ancient Persepolis
15Persepolis
16The People of Persepolis
17Persian Archers Soldiers
18 Darius the Great (526 485 B. C. E.)
- Established a tax-collecting system.
(tributary system) - Divided the empire into districts called
SATRAPIES. - Built the great Royal Road system.
- Established a complex postal system.
- Created a network of spies called the Kings
eyes and ears.
19Achaemenid Administration The Satrapies
- 23 Administrative divisions
- Satraps Persian, but staff principally local
- System of spies, surprise audits
- Minimized possibilities of local rebellion
- Standardized currency for taxation purposes
- Massive road building, courier services
20Technologies
- Qanat System of underground canals
- Avoided excessive loss to evaporation
- System began in Persia but spread throughout the
world - Extensive road-building
- Persian Royal Road
- 1,600 miles, some of it paved
- Courier service (the Pony Express of its era)
21Qanat System
22Qanat System
- Wind tower and qanat used for cooling.
23Persian Royal Road
24Decline of the Achaemenid Empire
- Policy of toleration under Cyrus, Darius
- Rebuilding of Temple in Jerusalem
- Xerxes (486-465 BCE) attempts to impose Persian
stamp (tighter control) on satrapies - Increasing public discontent
- revolts begin with Ionian Greeks leading to the
Persian Wars
25Xerxes I
26Persian Wars (500-479 BCE)
- Rebellious Greeks in Ionia
- Peninsular Greeks join in (led by Athens)
- Persians defeated at Marathon (490 BCE),
retreated, ending the first phase of the Persian
Wars (by a primarily Athenian force) - Upon the death of Darius, his son Xerxes I
assembled one of the largest militaries ever to
invade Greece again in 480 BCE - In 479 BCE at the Battle of Plataea, the Persians
were defeated for the final time in Greece. - Further Greek revolts took place of the next 25
years. - 300
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28Seleucid Empire
- Alexander the Great conquers the Achaemenid
Empire (334-331 BCE) at the Battle of Guagemala - Alexander burns Persepolis to the ground
- Alexander the Great dies suddenly
- Generals divide empire, best part goes to
Seleucus (r. 305-281 BCE) - Attacked by rebellion in India, invasion of
Parthians
29- The Achaemenid
- and Selucid Empires, 558-83 BCE
30Parthian Empire
- Seminomadic Parthians drive Seleucus out of Iran
- Federated governmental structure
- Especially strong cavalry
- Alfalfa fed horses grew larger than steppe ponies
and enabled heavy armor - Weakened by ongoing wars with Romans
- Fell to internal rebellion of feuding satraps
31Sasanid Empire (224-651 CE)
- Claimed descent from Achaemenids
- Continual conflicts with Rome, Byzantium in the
west, Kush in the east - Overwhelmed by Arab conquest in 651
- Persian administration and culture absorbed into
local Islamic culture
32- The Parthian
- and Sasanid Empires, 247 BCE-651 CE
33Persian Society
- Early steppe traditions
- Warriors, priests, peasants
- Family/clan kinship very important
- Creation of bureaucrat class with empire
- Tax collectors
- Record keepers
- Translators
34Slave Class
- Largest slave class of any society at that point
in history - Prisoners of war, conquered populations
- Debtors
- Children, spouses also sold into slavery
- Principally domestic servitude
- Some agricultural labor, public works
35Persian Economy
- Several areas exceptionally fertile
- Long-distance trade benefits from Persian
road-building - Goods from India especially valued
- Each region provided a variety of finished and
raw goods - Coined money from the Lydians reinforced economy
36Zoroastrianism
- Early Aryan influences on Persian religious
traditions - Zarathustra (late 7th-early 6th c. BCE)
- Prophet of Ahura Mazda, against Angra Mainu
- Priests of Zarathustra known as Magi
- Oral teachings until Sasanid period composed
Gathas
37Zarathustra Zoroaster, 6c BCEGood Thoughts,
Good Deed, Good Words
Tree of Life
38Dualistic Battle of Good vs. Evil
Ahura MazdaHoly Spirit
AhrimanDestructive Spirit
39Zend-Avesta(The Book of Law)
The Sacred Fire ? the force to fight
evil.
40Fortunes of Zoroastrianism
- Under Alexander Massacre of Magi, burning
Zoroastrian temples - Weak Parthian support
- Major revival under Sasanids, persecution of
non-Zoroastrians - Discrimination under Islam
41Extent of Zoroastrianism
42Zoroastrianism
Faravahar, or Guardian Spirit The depiction of
the human soul before birth and after death.
43Other Religious Groups in the Persian Empire
- Judaism, Christianity Islam later influenced by
Zoroastrianism - Omnipotent God responsible for creation of all
- Dualism
- Good will prevail over evil
- Humans must strive for good, followed by
judgment reward or punishment - Major Mesopotamian communities of Jews
- Composition of the Talmud, c. 500 CE
- constitution of Judaism
- Buddhism, Christianity and Manichaeism also
survived