Persia Greece East versus West Some Questions to

Persia & Greece East versus West

Some Questions to Ponder… • 1. How did geography, environment and contact with other peoples shape the institutions and values of Persians and Greeks?

• 2. What brought the Greek city-states and the Persian Empire into conflict, and which factors dictated the outcome of their rivalry?

• 3. In what ways were the lands and peoples of the Eastern Mediterranean and Western Asia influenced – culturally, economically and politically by the domination of the Persian Empire and the Greek Kingdoms that succeeded it?

Ancient Iran • Land of the Aryans • Mediating Position • 6 th Century BC * Largest Empire to that Date • Heirs to legacy of Mesopotamia * Sumer

Ancient Iran • Introduced Distinct Iranian Elements • Developed New Forms of Political and Economic Organization in W. Asia

Ancient Iran • Little Written Material Survives • Greek Perspective

Ancient Iran * Geography Mountains: Zagros * Caucasus*Afghanistan* Caspian Sea * Baluchistan Plateau * Persian Gulf * Northeast Less Protected – Nomadic Invasions

Fundamental Topography • High Mountains at Edges • Salt Deserts *Interior • Mountain Streams Crossing Sloping Plateau Drain Into Seas, Salt Lakes or Marshes

Water & Resources • Exploiting Water Resources • Iran Never Had a Dense Population • Best-Watered * Most Populous in North & West

• Interior Plateaus * Oases • Great Salt Desert • Baluchistan • Persian Gulf Cut Off from Interior Plateau by Mountain Barriers

Reponses • 1 st Millenium BC • Irrigation * People Move Down from Mountain Valleys • Open Plains to Agriculture

• Underground Irrigation Channels • Strong Central Authority Organized Workers • Royal Authority * Prosperity

• Iran’s Mineral Resources • Copper, Tin, Gold, Silver • Mountains Heavily Wooded • Carpets & Textiles

Medes (Mada) • Medes settled in NW & Urartu • Major Role in Destruction of Assyrian Empire • Extended Control into Anatolia

Medes & Achaemenids • Cyrus (Kurush) * Son of Persian Chieftain & Median Princess * United Persian Tribes • Overthrew Median Monarch • Less a Conquest than An Alteration -

Social Status * 3 Classes * • WARRIORS ** Dominant Element – Landowning Aristocracy – Hunting * Fighting * Gardening –KING

Priests * Magi • Ritual Specialists Who Supervised the Proper Performance of Sacrifices

Peasants & Shepherds • Common People • Primarily Village Based

Cyrus (r. 550 * 530 BC) • Redrew Map of Asia • Camel Cavalry (546 BC) P-ew!

More on Cyrus… • Skilled Propagandist • Gained Control of Babylon without a Struggle • Showed Respect for Babylonian Customs

Cambyses (r. 530 -522 BC) • Egyptian Campaign • Greek Sources • Egyptian Sources

Darius I (r. 522 – 486 BC) • Medes Eclipsed • Extends East to Indus Valley * West to Danube

• Empire stretches from Eastern Europe to Pakistan * Southern Russia to Sudan • He Pulled it Off by…

Darius’ Political Genius • Divided Empire into 20 Provinces • Under Supervision of Satrap (Governor) * Royal Family • Collect Tribute & Send to King

• Darius set amount • Sent to Treasury • Much was Hoarded th • Economic Decline by 4 Century BC

• Royal Roads * • Susa * Capital • 3 Months to Make Journey to Susa (Greeks) • Persepolis (Fars)