1. Chapter 7:
The Empires of Persia

2. The Persian Empire

3. Persian Empires Contemporary Iran Four major dynasties
Achaemenids ( BCE)
Seleucids ( BCE)
Parthians (247 BCE-224 CE)
Sasanids ( CE)

4. Achaemenid Empire (558-330 BCE)
Migration of Medes and Persians from central Asia, before 1000 BCE
Capitalized on weakening Assyrian and Babylonian empires
Cyrus (r BCE) founder of dynasty
Peak under Darius (r BCE)
Ruled Indus to the Aegean
Capital Persepolis
Extremely diverse empire

5. Cyrus the Great
A tolerant ruler  he allowed different cultures within his empire to keep their own institutions.
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.

6. Iranian artists rendition of Cyrus the Great
Tomb of Cyrus the Great
Iranian artists rendition of Cyrus the Great

7. The Cyrus Cylinder, sometimes described as the "first charter of human rights"

8. Darius 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.

10. Persepolis

11. Persepolis
Gate of Xerxes at Persepolis

12. Persepolis

13. Persepolis

14. Ancient Persepolis

15. Persepolis

16. The People of Persepolis

17. Persian Archers & Soldiers

18. Darius the Great (526 – 485 B. C. E.)
Established a tax-collecting 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 King’s eyes and ears.”

19. Achaemenid 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

20. Technologies 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

21. Qanat System

22. Wind tower and qanat used for cooling.
Qanat System
By 400 BCE Persian engineers had already mastered the technique of storing ice in the middle of summer in the desert in naturally cooled refrigerators called yakhchal (meaning ice pits) which were connected to qanats..
Wind tower and qanat used for cooling.

23. Persian “Royal Road”

24. Decline of the Achaemenid Empire
Policy of toleration under Cyrus, Darius
Rebuilding of Temple in Jerusalem
Xerxes ( BCE) attempts to impose Persian stamp on satrapies
Increasing public discontent

25. Xerxes I

26. Persian Wars ( BCE)
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.

28. Seleucid Empire
Alexander the Great conquers the Achaemenid Empire ( 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 BCE)

29. The Achaemenid and Selucid Empires, 558-83 BCE

30. Parthian 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

31. Sasanid 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

33. Persian Society Early steppe traditions
Warriors, priests, peasants
Family/clan kinship very important
Creation of bureaucrat class with empire
Tax collectors
Record keepers
Translators

34. Slave 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

35. Persian 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

36. Zoroastrianism Zarathustra (late 7th-early 6th c. BCE)
Priests of Zarathustra known as Magi
Oral teachings until Sasanid period composed Gathas

37. Zarathustra [Zoroaster], 6c BCE: Good Thoughts, Good Deed, Good Words
“Tree of Life”

38. Dualistic Battle of Good vs. Evil
Ahura Mazda “Holy Spirit”
Ahriman “Destructive Spirit”

39. Zend-Avesta (The “Book of Law”)
The “Sacred Fire”  the force to fight evil.

40. Fortunes of Zoroastrianism
Under Alexander: Massacre of Magi, burning Zoroastrian temples
Weak Parthian support
Major revival under Sasanids, persecution of non-Zoroastrians
Discrimination under Islam

41. Extent of Zoroastrianism

42. Zoroastrianism
Faravahar, or Guardian Spirit: The depiction of the human soul before birth and after death.

43. Other 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