1. Greece and Persia
Chapter 9.3

2. Persia’s Empire
Persians were building an empire when the government of Athens was undergoing political changes
Persian homeland was located in southwestern Iran

3. Cyrus the Great Cyrus the Great built a strong Persian army
Began creating an empire that became the largest in the ancient world

4. Creating an Empire
Persia conquered Mesopotamia, Syria, Judah, and the Greek city-states of Anatolia
Cyrus treated conquered people fairly
Allowed them to keep their own languages, religions, and laws
Allowed the Jews to return to Israel

5. Armies took over Egypt, western India, and lands northeast of Greece
From the west to the east stretched 3,000 miles (this is about the size of the continental United States today)

6. Persian Roads Persians improved the roads begun by the Assyrians
Royal Road was 1,500 miles from Persia to Anatolia
Messengers could travel from Persia to Anatolia in just seven days
The same trip would have taken 3 months before the road was built

8. Persian Government Darius I ruled Persia from 522 to 486 BC
Divided the empire into provinces called satrapies
Each satrapies ruled by a governor called a satrap (means “defender of the kingdom”)
Satrap collected taxes, judged legal cases, managed the police, and recruited soldiers for the Persian army

9. Persian Army Persian maintained a full-time, paid, professional army
Best fighters were 10,000 soldiers called the “Immortals” because when one died another soldier immediately took his place

10. Who was Zoroaster? Persians were polytheistic
A teacher named Zoroaster
Preached a monotheistic religion
Religion was called Zoroastrianism

11. Zoroastrianism Taught one supreme god
God was called Ahura Mazda or “Wise Lord”
Ahura Mazda was creator of all things
Leader of the forces of good
Believes people were free to choose between good and evil
Religion still has about 200,000 followers today. Most in South Asia.

12. The Persian Wars Persians clashed with the Greeks
Greeks in Anatolia revolted against Persia
Athenians sent warships to help rebels
Persians crushed the uprising
King Darius decided to punish the Greeks

13. How Did the Greeks Win at Marathon?
Darius sent a fleet of 600 ships and army to invade Greece
Persians landed at Marathon
Persians waited for the Greeks to fight
Athenians had only 10,000 troops compared to the Persian’s 20,000 soldiers

14. Persians sailed to Athens to attack by sea
Persians loaded their ships with cavalry
As soon as the Persians had their horsemen on their ships, Athenians charged down the hills
Athenians caught the Persians foot soldiers standing in the water
Persians suffered a terrible defeat

15. Marathon
A messenger ran 25 miles from Marathon to Athens with news of the victory
When he reached Athens he cried “Victory”
Then collapsed and died from exhaustion
Today’s marathon races are named for him and are just over 26 miles

16. Land and Sea Battles Persians vowed revenge
Xerxes invaded Greece with 200,000 troops and thousands of warships
The Greek city-states banded together to fight the Persians

17. Battle of Thermopylae King Leonidas of Sparta supplied soldiers
Themistocles of Athens directed Greek naval forces
Themistocles wanted to attack the Persian’s ships and cut off the army’s supplies
To do this, King Leonidas of Sparta had to stop the Persian army from reaching Athen

18. Battle of Thermopylae
King Leonidas led 7,000 soldiers into a battle that lasted for three days
A traitor showed the Persians a trail leading behind the Greeks
Realizing he would soon be surrounded, Leonidas dismissed most of the troops
Leonidas and 300 Spartans remained a fought to the death

19. The Spartan’s heroic stand gave Themistocles time to attack Persia’s ships
Athenian fleet lured the Persian fleet into the strait of Salamis near Athens
Athenian ships were smaller and faster
Most of the Persian fleet was destroyed
Persian foot soldiers set Athens on fire

20. Battle at Plataea
Combined forces of the Greek city-states formed their largest army yet
Improved fighting with better armor and weapons
Greek army faced Persians at Plataea
Two sides evenly matched with 100,000 men
Greeks defeated the Persians
Freed Anatolia from Persian rule
Peace did no come until 449 BC

21. Decline of Persia
Persian army was no longer strong enough to defend the empire
Persian people were unhappy with government
Kings taxed the people heavily
Persian empire fell when attacked by Alexander the Great and a new Greek empire began