Chapter 7 The Empires of Persia 1 Copyright

Chapter 7 The Empires of Persia 1 Copyright © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.

Persian Empires n n Contemporary Iran Four major dynasties q q Achaemenids (558 -330 BCE) Seleucids (323 -283 BCE) Parthians (247 BCE-224 CE) Sasanids (224 -651 CE) 2 Copyright © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.

Achaemenid Empire (558 -330 BCE) n Migration of Medes and Persians from central Asia, before 1000 BCE q n n Capitalized on weakening Assyrian and Babylonian empires Cyrus (r. 558 -530 BCE) founder of dynasty q q n Indo-Europeans “Cyrus the Shepherd” Persepolis-capital Victory over Lydia (Croesus) Peak under Darius (r. 521 -486 BCE) q q Ruled Indus to the Aegean Capital Persepolis 3 Copyright © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.

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. ” 580 – 529 B. C. E. § The Jews called him “the anointed of the Lord. ” (In 537, 4

Darius the Great (526 – 485 B. C. E. ) § Established a tax-collecting system. §Coins § Divided the empire into districts called SATRAPIES. (Governor) § Built the great Royal Road system. 5 § Established a complex postal

Achaemenid Administration: The Satrapies n n n 23 Administrative divisions (Mesopotamians) Satraps Persian, but staff principally local System of spies, surprise audits q n n n Minimized possibilities of local rebellion Standardized currency for taxation purposes * Massive road building*, courier services (Her. ) Toleration, laws 6 Copyright © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.

Technologies n Qanat: System of underground canals q n Avoided excessive loss to evaporation Extensive road-building q Persian Royal Road n q 1, 600 miles, some of it paved Courier service*(H) 7 Copyright © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.

Persian “Royal Road” 8 Copyright © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.

Ancient Persepolis 9

Persepolis 10

The People of Persepolis 11

Decline of the Achaemenid Empire n Policy of toleration under Cyrus, Darius q n n Rebuilding of Temple in Jerusalem Xerxes (486 -465 BCE) attempts to impose Persian stamp on satrapies Increasing public discontent 12 Copyright © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.

Persian Wars (500 -479 BCE) n n 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) 13 Copyright © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.

Seleucid Empire* n n n Alexander the Great dies suddenly Generals divide empire, best part goes to Seleucus (r. 305 -281 BCE) Attacked by rebellion in India, Roman 83 B. C. E. , invasion of Parthians 14 Copyright © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.

The Achaemenid and Selucid Empires, 558 -83 BCE 15 Copyright © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.

Parthian Empire n n n Seminomadic Parthians drive Seleucus out of Iran Federated governmental structure Especially strong cavalry Weakened by ongoing wars with Romans Fell to internal rebellion Ctesiphon-capital of Parthian & Sasanid 16 Copyright © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.

Sasanid Empire (224 -651 CE) n n 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 17 Copyright © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.

The Parthian and Sasanid Empires, 247 BCE-651 CE 18 Copyright © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.

Persian Society n Early steppe tradition-Aryans q q n Warriors, priests, peasants Family/clan kinship very important Creation of bureaucrat class with empire q q q Tax collectors Record keepers translators 19 Copyright © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.

Slave Class n n Prisoners of war, conquered populations Debtors Children, spouses also sold into slavery Principally domestic servitude q Some agricultural labor, public works 20 Copyright © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.

Persian Economy n n n Several areas exceptionally fertile Long-distance trade benefits from Persian roadbuilding Goods from India especially valued 21 Copyright © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.

Zoroastrianism n n n Early Aryan influences on Persian religious traditions Zarathustra (late 7 th-early 6 th c. BCE) Prophet of Ahura Mazda, against Angra Mainu Priests of Zarathustra known as Magi Oral teachings until Sasanid period composed Gathas 22 Copyright © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.

Zarathustra [Zoroaster], 6 c BCE: Good Thoughts, Good Deed, Good Words “Tree of Life” 23

Extent of Zoroastrianism 24

Dualistic Battle of Good vs. Evil Ahura Mazda “Holy Spirit” Ahriman “Destructive Spirit” 25

Zend-Avesta (The “Book of Law”) The “Sacred Fire” the force to fight evil. 26

Fortunes of Zoroastrianism n n n Under Alexander: Massacre of Magi, burning Zoroastrian temples Weak Parthian support Major revival under Sasanids, persecution of non. Zoroastrians Discrimination under Islam Influences 27 Copyright © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.

Other Religious Groups in the Persian Empire n n Major Mesopotamian communities of Jews Composition of the Talmud, c. 500 CE q n “constitution of Judaism” Buddhism, Christianity and Manichaeism also survived 28 Copyright © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.