Persia & Greece

1. Persia & Greece East versus West

2. Some Questions to Ponder… • 1. How did geography, environment and contact with other peoples shape the institutions and values of Persians and Greeks?

3. 2. What brought the Greek city-states and the Persian Empire into conflict, and which factors dictated the outcome of their rivalry?

4. 3. In what ways were the lands and peoples of the Eastern Mediterranean and Western Asia influenced – culturally, economically and politically by the domination of the Persian Empire and the Greek Kingdoms that succeeded it?

5. Ancient Iran • Land of the Aryans • Mediating Position • 6th Century BC * Largest Empire to that Date • Heirs to legacy of Mesopotamia * Sumer

6. Ancient Iran • Introduced Distinct Iranian Elements • Developed New Forms of Political and Economic Organization in W. Asia

8. Ancient Iran • Little Written Material Survives • Greek Perspective

9. Ancient Iran * Geography Mountains: Zagros * Caucasus*Afghanistan* Caspian Sea * Baluchistan Plateau * Persian Gulf * Northeast Less Protected – Nomadic Invasions

10. Fundamental Topography • High Mountains at Edges • Salt Deserts *Interior • Mountain Streams Crossing Sloping Plateau Drain Into Seas, Salt Lakes or Marshes

11. Water & Resources • Exploiting Water Resources • Iran Never Had a Dense Population • Best-Watered * Most Populous in North & West

12. Interior Plateaus * Oases • Great Salt Desert • Baluchistan • Persian Gulf Cut Off from Interior Plateau by Mountain Barriers

13. Reponses • 1st Millenium BC • Irrigation * People Move Down from Mountain Valleys • Open Plains to Agriculture

14. Underground Irrigation Channels • Strong Central Authority Organized Workers • Royal Authority * Prosperity

15. Iran’s Mineral Resources • Copper, Tin, Gold, Silver • Mountains Heavily Wooded • Carpets & Textiles

16. Medes (Mada) • Medes settled in NW & Urartu • Major Role in Destruction of Assyrian Empire • Extended Control into Anatolia

17. Medes & Achaemenids • Cyrus (Kurush) * Son of Persian Chieftain & Median Princess * United Persian Tribes • Overthrew Median Monarch • Less a Conquest than An Alteration -

18. Social Status * 3 Classes * • WARRIORS** Dominant Element • Landowning Aristocracy • Hunting * Fighting * Gardening • KING

19. Priests * Magi • Ritual Specialists Who Supervised the Proper Performance of Sacrifices

20. Peasants & Shepherds • Common People • Primarily Village Based

21. Cyrus (r. 550 * 530 BC) • Redrew Map of Asia • Camel Cavalry (546 BC) P-ew!

22. More on Cyrus… • Skilled Propagandist • Gained Control of Babylon without a Struggle • Showed Respect for Babylonian Customs

23. Cambyses (r.530-522 BC) • Egyptian Campaign • Greek Sources • Egyptian Sources

24. Darius I (r. 522 – 486 BC) • Medes Eclipsed • Extends East to Indus Valley * West to Danube

25. Empire stretches from Eastern Europe to Pakistan * Southern Russia to Sudan • He Pulled it Off by…

26. Darius’ Political Genius • Divided Empire into 20 Provinces • Under Supervision of Satrap (Governor) * Royal Family • Collect Tribute & Send to King

27. Darius set amount • Sent to Treasury • Much was Hoarded • Economic Decline by 4th Century BC

28. Royal Roads * • Susa * Capital • 3 Months to Make Journey to Susa (Greeks) • Persepolis (Fars)