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Classical Persia

Classical Persia. Darius, the Great King. He is shown here on his throne in Persepolis, the new capital city he built. In his right hand, Darius holds the royal staff; with his left, he grasps a lotus blossom with two buds, a symbol of royalty. The Assyrian and Persian Empires.

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Classical Persia

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  1. Classical Persia

  2. Darius, the Great King He is shown here on his throne in Persepolis, the new capital city he built. In his right hand, Darius holds the royal staff; with his left, he grasps a lotus blossom with two buds, a symbol of royalty.

  3. The Assyrian and Persian Empires Cyrus the Great united the Persians and led them in a successful conquest of much of the Near East, including most of the lands of the Assyrian Empire. By the time of Darius, the Persian Empire was the largest the world had yet seen.

  4. Persian Empires Four major dynasties: • Achaemenids (558-330 B.C.E.) • Seleucids (323-83 B.C.E.) • Parthians (247 B.C.E.-224 C.E.) • Sasanids (224-651 C.E.)

  5. Achaemenid Empire

  6. Achaemenid (Persian) Empire

  7. Achaemenid Empire (558-330 B.C.E.) • Migration of Medes and Persians from central Asia, before 1000 B.C.E. • Capitalized on weakening Assyrian & Babylonian empires • “Cyrus the Shepherd” • Ruled Indus to the Aegean • Built capital, Persepolis

  8. Achaemenid Administration: The Satrapies • Satraps Persian, but staff principally local • System of spies, • Minimized possibilities of local rebellion

  9. King Darius & Zoroastrianism • Iranian sovereigns were hereditary military leaders • Built intricate system of roads • King’s authority supported by strong military as well as state-sponsored religion: 10

  10. Zoroastrianism • Prophet of Ahura Mazda (Creator God), against AngraMainyu • Life is a struggle of truth against falsehood & continues into the next (spiritual) life. • Priests = • Oral teachings = • Zoroastrianism did not survive as major religion but continued to be practiced regularly until 7th century CE, now has ~ 2 million followers in Iran & India

  11. Technologies: Qanat

  12. Technologies: Roads • Extensive road-building: • : • Long-distance trade benefits from Persian road-building • Goods from India especially valued

  13. The Royal Road

  14. Decline of the Achaemenid Empire • Policy of toleration under Cyrus, Darius • Xerxes (486-465 B.C.E.) • Increasing public discontent

  15. Persian Wars (500-479 B.C.E.) • Rebellious Greeks in Ionia • Peninsular Greeks join in • Alexander the Great conquers the Achaemenid empire (334-331 B.C.E.)

  16. Seleucid Empire • Alexander the Great dies suddenly • Generals divide empire, best part goes to Seleucus (r. 305-281 B.C.E.)

  17. The Achaemenid and Seleucid Empires, 558-330 B.C.E. and 323-83 B.C.E.

  18. Parthian Empire • Semi-nomadic Parthians drive Seleucus out of Iran • Especially strong cavalry • Fell to internal rebellion

  19. Sasanid Empire (224-651 C.E.) • Claimed descent from Achaemenids • Continual conflicts with Rome, Byzantium in the west, Kush in the east • Persian administration and culture absorbed into local Islamic culture

  20. The Parthian & Sasanid Empires, 247 B.C.E.-651 C.E.

  21. Persian Society • Family/clan kinship very important • Creation of bureaucrat class with empire

  22. Slave Class • Debtors • Children, spouses also sold into slavery • Some agricultural labor, public works

  23. Other Religious Groups in the Persian Empire • Composition of the Talmud, ca. 500 C.E. • “Constitution of Judaism”

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