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The Persian Empire

Quaestio : Was Herodotus’ view of the Persians accurate? Nunc Agenda : Take a handout (“The Mighty Persians”) from the homework desk and work individually to read and complete the questions. The Persian Empire. Persian Empire.

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The Persian Empire

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  1. Quaestio: Was Herodotus’ view of the Persians accurate?Nunc Agenda: Take a handout (“The Mighty Persians”) from the homework desk and work individually to read and complete the questions.

  2. The Persian Empire

  3. Persian Empire The Persians formed one of the largest empires in the ancient world and made great cultural achievements. • Four major empires • Achaemenid (558-330 BCE) • Seleucid (323-283 BCE) • Parthian (247 BCE-224 CE) • Sassanid (224-651 CE)

  4. Why the Persians “Rule” • Large Centralized ____________ • Ruled lightly • Let people rule themselves • “Just give us tribute” • Money Economy • Banned Slavery (for religious reasons) • Road Network • Postal Service • Professional Army

  5. I. Growth and Organization At the height of its power, the Persian Empire encompassed approx. 8 million square kilometers and spanned the continents of Asia, Africa and Europe. It included Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, parts of India, Saudi Arabia and Central Asia, Asia Minor, Thrace and Macedonia, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt as far west as Libya.

  6. A. Cyrus the Great • Expanded the Persian Empire • Policy of toleration gained respect of those he conquered Cyrus the Great - (c. 600 BC-530 BC)

  7. Strengthened army and empire • Created satraps to help govern • Standardized currency and established a tax-collecting system • Built the great Royal Road system • Established a complex postal system • Created a network of spies B. Darius I

  8. C. Xerxes • Son of Darius • Attempted to conquer Greece after attempts made by his father

  9. The Fictional Xerxes

  10. D. Persian Achievements • Blended Culture • Cyrus and Darius encouraged cultural unity • Shared culture led to peace • People worked together to improve empire • Communication • Network of high quality roads • Royal Road = world’s first long highway • Horseback messengers in shifts • Art and Architecture • Persepolis, monument to Persia’s glory • Greatest example of Persian architecture

  11. Tribute is a payment from one ruler to another ruler. Paying tribute is a way to acknowledge the superior ruler. Persepolis was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (c. 550-330 BCE)

  12. Messengers relayed news on a network of high quality roads; 1500 mile-long Royal Road was world’s first long highway

  13. Animals were a common subject at Persepolis Staircase in Persepolis- a lion bringing down a horse

  14. E. Persia in Decline Xerxes failed to conquer Greeks Empire declined until conquered by Alexander the Great in 331 B.C.

  15. II. Zoroastrianism • The Persians worshipped many gods until Zoroaster started a new religion in about 600 B.C.

  16. A. Teachings Zoroaster taught dualism – world controlled by struggle between good, the god Ahura Mazda, and evil, the spirit Ahriman Ahura Mazda from the Hall of One Hundred Columns A Persian king fighting with Ahriman

  17. B. Slavery Zoroastrian forbade the practice of slavery. As a result, slavery was almost absent from Persia, unlike much of the ancient world… including Greece!

  18. Herodotus (c. 484-425 B.C.) • From the Greek colony of Halicarnassus in Asia Minor • Viewed as starting the genre of History • Biased toward the Greeks but respectful of other cultures, or at least interested to learn about them • Known as “The Father of History" and "The Father of Lies” • Because it was the first attempt at writing history, some of it sounds historical while some sounds much more legen…

  19. …DARY!!!

  20. Where is Herodotus from, and why is that significant? • How did Herodotus learn about the non-Greek world? Was his information trustworthy? Why or why not? • According to the reading, how is the writing of Herodotus different than the way, for example, you textbooks are written? • According to Herodotus, why did he write The Histories? (Box 2) • Before Herodotus, what did the term historia mean? How did it's meaning change? • What were the two titles or nicknames given to Herodotus, and why was he given these names? (answer separately for both titles) • How did Herodotus' approach to recording history differ from historians that came after him, such as Thucydides? • How does Herodotus deal with myths about gods and why was that radical for his time? • Read the paragraph from The Histories in Box 3. What is Herodotus saying about how people view other cultures as compared to their own? Give a specific example.

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