Persian Empire

Key Vocabulary

• Darius

• Xerxes I

• Irrigation canals

• Persepolis

• Alexander the Great

• Cyrus the Great

• Thermopylae

• Royal Road

Transition to Classical Civilizations

• Moving from Ancient River Civilizations to Classical Civilizations.

• Focus on Persia today, followed by Greece and Rome topics for the upcoming week.

• Ensure the map outline is completed for Warm-Up, answering questions located in the textbook (Pages 62 & 63).

• Short video on Persia will precede the Instagram post activity.

The Persian Empire: Key Events

• 539 B.C.: Babylon fell to Cyrus the Great's Persian armies.

  • Created the largest empire of its time.

  • Unified various tribes and clans under a single political structure.

  • Empire stretched from Asia Minor to India (present-day Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Afghanistan, and Pakistan).

  • Implementation of better roads and efficient governance policies.

  • Pursued tolerance policies towards conquered peoples.

Governance Under Darius I

• King Darius I: Ruled from 522 B.C. to 486 B.C.

  • Divided the empire into provinces called Satrapies.

  • Each satrapy governed by a Satrap (governor).

  • Taxation based on resources and wealth of each satrapy.

  • Improved communication through better road systems.

Economic Developments

• Darius established a standardized system of weights and measures, along with a taxation system.

• Encouraged the use of coins, transitioning from a barter system to a money economy.

  • Barter System: Exchange of goods or services directly.

  • Money Economy: Use of coins or bills as tokens of agreed value for transactions.

Birth of Zoroastrianism

• Zoroaster: Persian thinker around 600 B.C., significant in uniting the empire.

  • Rejected the old Persian pantheon; introduced the concept of a singular wise god, Ahura Mazda.

  • Teaches the dualism between Ahura Mazda (light and good) and Ahriman (evil and darkness).

  • Advocates the individual choice of allegiance in this cosmic struggle.