1. Persia
600 BCE-600 CE

2. Characteristics of an Empire
Takes over others and manipulates them to follow the central power.
Creates rules and regulations that connects those that are conquered to the central power, but that central power doesn’t have to follow those rules.
Organize a military and prevent competition.
Secure and create stability in the differing parts that were conquered.
Find a way to generate income to fund the empire’s programs.
Bind the old upper class to the new central power.

3. Origins Appeared in Mesopotamia about 1300 BCE
From an Indo-European people group
Cyxares (r ) established an army and began conquering & organizing the empire
Married his daughter to a Babylonian prince
Conquered Assyria

4. Persia under Cyrus II (the Great)
R BCE
Expanded the empire and took out Babylon
Used existing local governments and military in each satrapy
Used previous kings as advisors
Worship the Babylonian god Marduk to make the priests happy
Allowed the people Babylon captured to go home
40,000 Jews went back to Judea
They thought of Cyrus as a savior

5. Persia under Cyrus II (the Great)

6. Persia under Cambyses II (529-522 BCE)
Captured Memphis and the pharaoh
Egypt revolted a lot so they had to put tons of military there
Used the same administrative system set up by Cyrus
Tried to capture Carthage but failed when his navy mutinied
Tried to capture Nubia, but troops got lost in the desert
He kicked his wife/sister to death while she was pregnant
May have not been mentally stable

7. Persia under Darius I (522-486 BCE)
Moved Persian empire into India
Produced 1/3 of money of the Empire
There was lots of fighting on the borders
Was unable to conquer Greece
Used locals elites to staff the government jobs
Expanded bureaucracy to make it more efficient
Persian army was placed in each satrap
Had to report directly to Darius about the satrap’s actions

8. Persia under Darius I (522-486 BCE)
Created the first Persian script
Law codes for each area were created by the satrap in that area
Taxed land by 20%
Persian collector collected taxes on land, industry, mining, ports, water, and sales
Built complex road system with inns and a royal courier service with stations every 15 miles
Completed a Nile-Red Sea canal

9. Persia under Darius I (522-486 BCE)
Renewed irrigation systems
Moved crops throughout the empire
Standardized the gold coin
Only his mint could make them
Economy flourished
Built 4 capital cities
Emperor “owned” all the land
Spread Zoroastrianism

11. Persian War
Some conquered Greek colonies were trying to regain independence
Athens tried to help, Darius got mad
In 490 BCE, Darius decided to punish Athens
Battle of Marathon
600 Persian ships landed with 48,000 soldiers
Greece had 10,000 hoplites
Persia lost 6400 men, Athens 192