1. WORLD HISTORY READERS
Level 1-⑨
THE PERSIAN EMPIRE

2. The Biggest Empire the World Had Ever Seen
When and where did the Persians have their empire?
For almost two hundred years, from 550 BC to 330 BC, the Persian Empire was the most powerful state in the world.
It went from Iran to Egypt, and from eastern Europe to India covering 44% of the world’s people, or about 50 million people.
The Acropolis in Athens, Greece
The story of the Persian Empire is not as well-known as that of the Greek Empire.

3. Who was a famous Persian king?
Famous Kings - I
Who was a famous Persian king?
Cyrus the Great Monument
The Palace of Cyrus at Pasargadae
Cyrus II, united the many different states of Persia to create one empire.
Around 546 BC, Cyrus began building the huge city of Pasargadae, now in modern-day Iran.
The tomb of Cyrus, Pasargadae
Unlike previous kings, Cyrus was known for kindness, not cruelty.
Cyrus understood the history of these people and allowed them to be free if they would accept him as their king.

4. Famous Kings – Ⅱ Who was king after Cyrus II died?
Market in Shiraz, Iran
Darius I ( BC) became the leader after Cyrus died.
What did Darius the Great do when he was king?
Darius I
Darius the Great wanted to build trade in the empire, so he created new ways to collect taxes, allowed the states in his empire to have some control, and created a common set of laws to help expand trade.
Traditional Iranian market
Darius the Great also became one of the greatest builders of all time. He built temples in Egypt and in many cities such as Percepolis and Susa in modern-day Iran.
Ancient palace in Susa, Iran

5. What was something that helped Darius expand the empire?
The Royal Road
What was something that helped Darius expand the empire?
The Royal Road
The Royal Road that went from Sardis in Turkey to Susa in Persia helped him.
How did the road help?
Ancient ruins in Sardis, Turkey
Mountain road in Turkey
He could communicate easily with the far corners of his empire and expand the empire father into Egypt, India, and Greece.

6. The Greco-Persian Wars
Who was king after Darius I died?
Relief on the tomb of Darius and Xerxes
Persian soldiers
After Darius I died, his son Xerxes continued to prepare to fight the Greeks.
Was this a big war?
Yes, this Greco-Persian war would be one of the most important in world history.

7. How did the Greco-Persian war change history?
History Changed by War
Modern Greece
How did the Greco-Persian war change history?
This war united Greece.
What happened?
A Greek soldier
Persian soldiers, Percepolis
Between 490 and 480 BC, the Persians attacked some Greek states. At that time, Greece was not one country. It was made up of city-states which had their own leaders. But soon, these city-states realized that only together could they defeat the Persians.

8. How did the Greco-Persian war change history?
Important Battles
How did the Greco-Persian war change history?
A building built to remember the battle of Marathon
1. In the battle of Marathon in 490 BC, the Greeks beat the Persians. But Xerxes did not give up.
2. After that, the Persians defeated the Greeks at the battle of Thermopylae and entered Athens, the Greek capital.
Battleground in Greece, Thermopylae
370 Greek ships vs. 800 Persian ships
3. The battle of Salamis then followed. This battle was fought on ships. The Greeks were able to defeat the Persians even though there were fewer Greek ships.
Battleground in Greece, Thermopylae
4. A year later, in the summer of 479 BC, the Persians tried again at Plataea and Mycale. But they did not have enough soldiers to beat the Greeks. The Greeks had finally won the war.

9. The Legacy What influence did the Persians have on history?
King Cyrus II
King Darius I
Both Cyrus and Darius were great men of their time. They led their empires well and fairly. Both men had the qualities we expect of great leaders. Many emperors and kings were to follow them in history.
What are some examples of this?
Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great was greatly influenced by both Cyrus and Darius. Roman emperors and Greek kings also learned how to rule their people like Cyrus and Darius.

10. VOCABULARY ancient adj. battle n. very old
a big fight between two groups of soldiers

11. VOCABULARY generous adj. kindness n. kind; willing to forgive
behavior that is good, nice, and friendly to others

12. VOCABULARY modern adj. narrow adj. recent; of the time now
being only a small distance from one side to the other

13. VOCABULARY soldier n. temple n. a person in an army
a building where people in some religions go to pray