1. PERSIAN EMPIRE The largest empire in the world (at the time)
It stretched from The Nile to the Indus River
Persia: Present-day Iran
Never able to conquer Greece

2. Persia is in Modern Day Iran

3. The Persian Empire

4. How did Persia govern its Empire?

5. Persian Rulers Treated conquered people with tolerance
Developed an imperial bureaucracy
Built an extensive road system
Zoroastrianism (religion)
Darius

6. Tolerance
Persian rulers allowed the people they conquered to practice their own religions and follow their own customs.
Palace of Darius

7. Bureaucracy
A system of managing government through departments run by appointed officials
Darius divided his empire into provinces each run by a governor (satrap)
It seemed good to Darius to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, that they should be in charge of the whole kingdom, and over them three commissioners (of whom Daniel was one), that these satraps might be accountable to them, and that the king might not suffer loss. (NASB) Dan. 6: The satraps had responsibility for managing the different provinces and various levels of government throughout the kingdom. They had responsibility for collecting taxes, sending recruits to Babylon for the army, and suppressing crime.

8. Persian Road System Great Royal Road
United the empire (provided a means of communication, trade, and governmental control).

9. Zoroastrianism Early monotheistic religion founded by Zoroaster
Belief in two opposing forces: good and evil, light and darkness, heaven and hell.
1500 to 1200 BC

10. Extent of Zoroastrianism

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

12. Cyrus 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.

13. Darius the Great (526 – 485 B. C. E.)
Built Persepolis.
He extended the Persian Empire to the Indus River in northern India. (2 mil. s.q. mi.)
Built a canal in Egypt.

14. 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.”

15. Cyrus, Darius, Persepolis