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Chapter 7

Chapter 7. The Empires of Persia. Persian Empires. Contemporary Iran Four major dynasties Achaemenids (558-330 BCE) Seleucids (323-83 BCE) Parthians (247 BCE-224 CE) Sasanids (224-651 CE). Achaemenid Empire (558-330 BCE). Migration of Medes and Persians from central Asia, before 1000 BCE

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Chapter 7

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  1. Chapter 7 The Empires of Persia

  2. Persian Empires • Contemporary Iran • Four major dynasties • Achaemenids (558-330 BCE) • Seleucids (323-83 BCE) • Parthians (247 BCE-224 CE) • Sasanids (224-651 CE)

  3. Achaemenid Empire (558-330 BCE) • Migration of Medes and Persians from central Asia, before 1000 BCE • Indo-Europeans • Capitalized on weakening Assyrian and Babylonian empires • Cyrus (r. 558-530 BCE) founder of dynasty • “Cyrus the Shepherd” • Peak under Darius (r. 521-486 BCE) • Ruled Indus to the Aegean • Capital Persepolis

  4. Achaemenid Administration: The Satrapies • 23 Administrative divisions • Satraps Persian, but staff principally local • System of spies, surprise audits • Minimized possibilities of local rebellion • Standardized currency for taxation purposes • Massive road building, courier services

  5. Technologies • Qanat: System of underground canals • Avoided excessive loss to evaporation • Extensive road-building • Persian Royal Road • 1,600 miles, some of it paved • Courier service

  6. Decline of the Achaemenid Empire • Policy of toleration under Cyrus, Darius • Rebuilding of Temple in Jerusalem • Xerxes (486-465 BCE) attempts to impose Persian stamp on satrapies • Increasing public discontent

  7. Persian Wars (500-479 BCE) • Rebellious Greeks in Ionia • Peninsular Greeks join in • Persians defeated at Marathon (490 BCE), retreated • Alexander the Great conquers the Achaemenid Empire (334-331 BCE)

  8. Seleucid Empire • Alexander the Great dies suddenly • Generals divide empire, best part goes to Seleucus (r. 305-281 BCE) • Attacked by rebellion in India, invasion of Parthians

  9. The Achaemenid and Selucid empires, 558-83 B.C.E.

  10. Parthian Empire • Seminomadic Parthians drive Seleucus out of Iran • Federated governmental structure • Especially strong cavalry • Weakened by ongoing wars with Romans • Fell to internal rebellion

  11. Sasanid Empire (224-651 CE) • Claimed descent from Achaemenids • Continual conflicts with Rome, Byzantium in the west, Kush in the east • Overwhelmed by Arab conquest in 651 • Persian administration and culture absorbed into local Islamic culture

  12. The Parthian and Sasanid empires, 247 B.C.E.-651 C.E

  13. Persian Society • Early steppe traditions • Warriors, priests, peasants • Family/clan kinship very important • Creation of bureaucrat class with Empire • Tax collectors • Record keepers • translators

  14. Slave Class • Prisoners of war, conquered populations • Debtors • Children, spouses also sold into slavery • Principally domestic servitude • Some agricultural labor, public works

  15. Persian Economy • Several areas exceptionally fertile • Long-distance trade benefits from Persian road-building • Goods from India especially valued

  16. Zoroastrianism • Early Aryan influences on Persian religious traditions • Zarathustra (late 7th-early 6th c. BCE) • Prophet of Ahura Mazda, against Angra Mainu • Priests of Zarathustra known as Magi • Oral teachings until Sasanid period composed Gathas

  17. Fortunes of Zoroastrianism • Under Alexander: Massacre of Magi, burning Zoroastrian temples • Weak Parthian support • Major revival under Sasanids, persecution of non-Zoroastrians • Discrimination under Islam

  18. Other Religious Groups in the Persian Empire • Major Mesopotamian communities of Jews • Composition of the Talmud, c. 500 CE • “constitution of Judaism” • Buddhism, Christianity and Manichaeism also survived

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