1. Persia & Greece
East versus West

2. Some Questions to Ponder…
1. How did geography, environment and contact with other peoples shape the institutions and values of Persians and Greeks?

3. 2. What brought the Greek city-states and the Persian Empire into conflict, and which factors dictated the outcome of their rivalry?

4. 3. In what ways were the lands and peoples of the Eastern Mediterranean and Western Asia influenced – culturally, economically and politically by the domination of the Persian Empire and the Greek Kingdoms that succeeded it?

5. Ancient Iran Land of the Aryans Mediating Position
6th Century BC * Largest Empire to that Date
Heirs to legacy of Mesopotamia * Sumer

6. Ancient Iran Introduced Distinct Iranian Elements
Developed New Forms of Political and Economic Organization in W. Asia

8. Ancient Iran
Little Written Material Survives
Greek Perspective

9. Ancient Iran * Geography
Mountains: Zagros * Caucasus*Afghanistan*
Caspian Sea * Baluchistan Plateau * Persian Gulf *
Northeast Less Protected – Nomadic Invasions

10. Fundamental Topography
High Mountains at Edges
Salt Deserts *Interior
Mountain Streams Crossing Sloping Plateau Drain Into Seas, Salt Lakes or Marshes

11. Water & Resources Exploiting Water Resources
Iran Never Had a Dense Population
Best-Watered * Most Populous in North & West

12. Interior Plateaus * Oases
Great Salt Desert
Baluchistan
Persian Gulf Cut Off from Interior Plateau by Mountain Barriers

13. Reponses 1st Millenium BC
Irrigation * People Move Down from Mountain Valleys
Open Plains to Agriculture

14. Underground Irrigation Channels
Strong Central Authority Organized Workers
Royal Authority * Prosperity

15. Iran’s Mineral Resources
Copper, Tin, Gold, Silver
Mountains Heavily Wooded
Carpets & Textiles

16. Medes (Mada)
Medes settled in NW & Urartu
Major Role in Destruction of Assyrian Empire
Extended Control into Anatolia

17. Medes & Achaemenids
Cyrus (Kurush) * Son of Persian Chieftain & Median Princess * United Persian Tribes
Overthrew Median Monarch
Less a Conquest than An Alteration -

18. Social Status * 3 Classes *
WARRIORS ** Dominant Element
Landowning Aristocracy
Hunting * Fighting * Gardening
KING

19. Priests * Magi
Ritual Specialists Who Supervised the Proper Performance of Sacrifices

20. Peasants & Shepherds
Common People
Primarily Village Based

21. Cyrus (r. 550 * 530 BC) Redrew Map of Asia
Camel Cavalry (546 BC) P-ew!

22. More on Cyrus…
Skilled Propagandist
Gained Control of Babylon without a Struggle
Showed Respect for Babylonian Customs

23. Cambyses (r.530-522 BC) Egyptian Campaign Greek Sources
Egyptian Sources

24. Darius I (r. 522 – 486 BC) Medes Eclipsed
Extends East to Indus Valley * West to Danube

25. Empire stretches from Eastern Europe to Pakistan
Empire stretches from Eastern Europe to Pakistan * Southern Russia to Sudan
He Pulled it Off by…

26. Darius’ Political Genius
Divided Empire into 20 Provinces
Under Supervision of Satrap (Governor) * Royal Family
Collect Tribute & Send to King

27. Darius set amount
Sent to Treasury
Much was Hoarded
Economic Decline by 4th Century BC

28. Royal Roads *
Susa * Capital
3 Months to Make Journey to Susa (Greeks)
Persepolis (Fars)