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The Empires of Persia

The Empires of Persia. Rise of Persia through the Sasanid Dynasty . The Persian Empire. Persian Empires. Contemporary Iran Four major dynasties Achaemenids (558-330 BCE) Seleucids (323-283 BCE) Parthians (247 BCE-224 CE) Sasanids (224-651 CE). Achaemenid Empire (558-330 BCE).

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The Empires of Persia

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  1. The Empires of Persia • Rise of Persia through the Sasanid Dynasty

  2. The Persian Empire

  3. Persian Empires • Contemporary Iran • Four major dynasties • Achaemenids (558-330 BCE) • Seleucids (323-283 BCE) • Parthians (247 BCE-224 CE) • Sasanids (224-651 CE)

  4. 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

  5. Cyrus the Great • A tolerant ruler  he allowed different cultures within his empire to keep their own institutions. • The Greeks called him a “Law-Giver.” • The Jews called him “the anointed of the Lord.” (In 537, he allowed over 40,000 to return to Palestine). 580 – 529 B. C. E.

  6. Tomb of Cyrus the Great Iranian artists rendition of Cyrus the Great

  7. The Cyrus Cylinder, sometimes described as the "first charter of human rights"

  8. Darius I (the Great) As portrayed on a Greek vase

  9. Darius the Great(526 – 485 B. C. E.) • Built Persepolis. • He extended the Persian Empire to the Indus River in northern India. (2 mil. sq. mi.) • Built a canal in Egypt. Precursor to the modern-day Suez Canal

  10. Persepolis

  11. Persepolis Gate of Xerxes at Persepolis

  12. Persepolis

  13. Persepolis

  14. Ancient Persepolis

  15. Persepolis

  16. The People of Persepolis

  17. Persian Archers & Soldiers

  18. Darius the Great(526 – 485 B. C. E.) • Established a tax-collecting system. (tributary system) • Divided the empire into districts called SATRAPIES. • Built the great Royal Road system. • Established a complex postal system. • Created a network of spies called “the King’s eyes and ears.”

  19. 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

  20. Technologies • Qanat: System of underground canals • Avoided excessive loss to evaporation • System began in Persia but spread throughout the world • Extensive road-building • Persian Royal Road • 1,600 miles, some of it paved • Courier service (the Pony Express of its era)

  21. Qanat System

  22. By 400 BCE Persian engineers had already mastered the technique of storing ice in the middle of summer in the desert in naturally cooled refrigerators called yakhchal (meaning ice pits) which were connected to qanats.. Qanat System Wind tower and qanat used for cooling.

  23. Persian “Royal Road”

  24. 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 (tighter control) on satrapies • Increasing public discontent • revolts begin with Ionian Greeks leading to the Persian Wars

  25. Xerxes I

  26. Persian Wars (500-479 BCE) • Rebellious Greeks in Ionia • Peninsular Greeks join in (led by Athens) • Persians defeated at Marathon (490 BCE), retreated, ending the first phase of the Persian Wars (by a primarily Athenian force) • Upon the death of Darius, his son Xerxes I assembled one of the largest militaries ever to invade Greece again in 480 BCE • In 479 BCE at the Battle of Plataea, the Persians were defeated for the final time in Greece. • Further Greek revolts took place of the next 25 years. • 300

  27. Seleucid Empire • Alexander the Great conquers the Achaemenid Empire (334-331 BCE) at the Battle of Guagemala • Alexander burns Persepolis to the ground • 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

  28. The Achaemenid and Selucid Empires, 558-83 BCE

  29. Parthian Empire • Seminomadic Parthians drive Seleucus out of Iran • Federated governmental structure • Especially strong cavalry • Alfalfa fed horses grew larger than steppe ponies and enabled heavy armor • Weakened by ongoing wars with Romans • Fell to internal rebellion of feuding satraps

  30. 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

  31. The Parthian and Sasanid Empires, 247 BCE-651 CE

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

  33. Slave Class • Largest slave class of any society at that point in history • Prisoners of war, conquered populations • Debtors • Children, spouses also sold into slavery • Principally domestic servitude • Some agricultural labor, public works

  34. Persian Economy • Several areas exceptionally fertile • Long-distance trade benefits from Persian road-building • Goods from India especially valued • Each region provided a variety of finished and raw goods • Coined money from the Lydians reinforced economy

  35. 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

  36. Zarathustra [Zoroaster], 6c BCE:Good Thoughts, Good Deed, Good Words “Tree of Life”

  37. Dualistic Battle of Good vs. Evil Ahura Mazda“Holy Spirit” Ahriman“Destructive Spirit”

  38. Zend-Avesta(The “Book of Law”) The “Sacred Fire”  the force to fight evil.

  39. 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

  40. Extent of Zoroastrianism

  41. Zoroastrianism Faravahar, or Guardian Spirit: The depiction of the human soul before birth and after death.

  42. Other Religious Groups in the Persian Empire • Judaism, Christianity & Islam later influenced by Zoroastrianism • Omnipotent God responsible for creation of all • Dualism • Good will prevail over evil • Humans must strive for good, followed by judgment: reward or punishment • 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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