Ancient Middle East Persia March. 5 th, 2013
Babylon Empire 1787 B.C. Big!
Bigger! Assyrian Empire 650 B.C.
Persian Empire 490 B.C. Biggest!
THE RISE OF PERSIA The Persians based their empire on tolerance and diplomacy. They relied on a strong military to back up their policies. Military Diplomacy Tolerance
PERSIAN RULERS 559-530 - Cyrus the Great 529-522 - Cambyses (son) 521-486 - Darius I, the Great 485-465 - Xerxes I (son) Conquests of Cyrus, Cambyses, and Darius created the world s largest empire in a period of less than 50 years.
PERSIAN EMPIRES Four major dynasties Achaemenids (558-330 BCE) Seleucids (323-283 BCE) Parthians (247 BCE-224 CE) Sasanids (224-651 CE) 7
ACHAEMENID EMPIRE (558-330 BCE) Migration of Medes and Persians from central Asia, before 1000 BCE Indo-Europeans (Aryan) Capitalized on weakening Assyrian and Babylonian empires Cyrus the Shepherd Peak under Darius 8
THE PERSIAN EMPIRE ACHAEMENID AND SELUCID EMPIRES, 558-83 B.C.E. 9
ACHAEMENID ADMINISTRATION: 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 10
RECAP: HOW DID PERSIAN LEADERS KEEP CONTROL OF SUCH A VAST EMPIRE? Broke Empire down into provinces Royal Governors = Satraps They were loyal to the Emperor and did his bidding. CONTROL!!!
SATRAPS
ROYAL SPIES They spied on the citizens and on the governors to make sure they were not going to steal or revolt.
PERSIAN GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE Ruler (Darius) Rules with absolute power Satrap 1 - Persian Governor Military Leader Tax Collector Satrap 1 - Persian Governor Military Leader Tax Collector Satrap 1 - Persian Governor Military Leader Tax Collector 14
PERSIAN GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE Ruler (Darius) Rules with absolute power Satrap 1 - Persian Governor Military Leader Tax Collector Satrap 2 - Persian Governor Military Leader Tax Collector Satrap 3 - Persian Governor Military Leader Tax Collector Local Ruler Local Ruler Local Ruler Local Ruler Local Ruler Local Ruler 15
PERSIAN EMPIRE Social Structure Ruler Regional (Clan) Leaders Imperial Administrators (Bureaucrats) Tax Collectors Record Keepers Artisans, Merchants, Craftsmen, Priests, Land Owners Laborers Slaves (Prisoners of war, conquered populations, Debtors Children, spouses also sold into slavery) 16
PERSIAN IMPERIAL PROJECTS Royal Road Royal Couriers Traveler Service Qanat: System of underground canals Avoided excessive loss to evaporation Standardized Taxes Weights and Measures Laws 17
PERSIAN SOCIETY Early steppe (Aryan) traditions Warriors, priests, peasants Family/clan kinship very important Creation of bureaucrat class with Empire Tax collectors Record keepers Translators Middle Class Similar to? Caste System
FUN FACTS ABOUT THE ROYAL ROAD 1,677 miles long with 111 relay stations Other smaller roads branched off the royal road Relay stations had rest areas and fresh horses. The entire royal road could be traveled in a week by a horsemen Caravans took about a month
TRIBUTE Central feature of administration was the collection of tribute Each satrapy was assessed according to its ability to pay Tribute said to be paid in gold, silver, horses, and eunuch boys (Babylonia paid 1000 talents silver annually) Tribute used to: Supply court Supply army Bribes for Greek politicians were usually a talent or two of silver
TOLERANCE AS POLICY Persians respected the many political-religious traditions in their empire Persepolis reliefs depict many ethnic groups Decrees rendered in many languages Persian king developed into the patron of local religious cults Cyrus allowed the Temple in Jerusalem to be rebuilt
THE PERSIAN EMPIRE 22
SELEUCID EMPIRE Transition Achaemenid - Seleucid Persians defeated at Marathon (490 BCE), retreated Alexander the Great conquers the Achaemenid Empire (334-331 BCE) 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 23
THE ACHAEMENID AND SELUCID EMPIRES, 558-83 B.C.E. 24
PARTHIAN EMPIRE Seminomadic Parthians drive Seleucus out of Iran Federated governmental structure Especially strong cavalry Weakened by ongoing wars with Romans Fell to internal rebellion 25
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 26
THE PARTHIAN AND SASANID EMPIRES, 247 B.C.E.-651 C.E 27
PERSIAN ECONOMY Several areas exceptionally fertile Long-distance trade benefits from Persian road-building Goods from India especially valued
CYRUS THE GREAT Achaemenes founder of a local Persian Dynasty Cyrus came to power in 559 BCE By Cyrus defeated: Media and incorporated it into his kingdom 550 Croesus of Lydia in 547 Babylonia in 539 Died fighting in northeastern Iran in 530
CYRUS THE GREAT - EMPIRE Military genius Controlled an empire spanning 2000 miles Kindness toward conquered people Honored local customs and religions 538 BC - Allowed the Jews to return to their homeland, Jerusalem Considered by the Jews to be one of God s anointed ones
TOLERANCE!!! Cyrus use the idea of tolerance to keep the peace and to seem like a liberator. He allowed people to keep their local customs and religions. He showed kindness toward conquered peoples
PRIMARY SOURCE This is the word of Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he himself has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem in Judah. To every man of his people now among you I say, God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord God of Israel, the God whose city is Jerusalem. What type of ruler was Cyrus based on this quote?
PERSIA AND THE CITY OF PERSEPOLIS
PERSEPOLIS 518 BCE (King Darius ) Utilized international influences and materials from all over his empire (Babylon, Egypt, Mesopotamian and Greece) The city included extensive use of columns
PERSEPOLIS The Apadana (Audience Hall) features wonderful low relief sculpture Apadana with huge columns 60 feet tall 36 columns with bullshaped tops
PERSIAN ART Persepolis, Iran Reliefs on walls symbolize Persian guards called Immortals 10,000 Immortals protected the city and ruler Large ramps leading to apadana enable chariots to enter hall 37
PERSIAN EMPIRE, 500 BC
DARIUS THE GREAT Member of the king s body guard Overthrew the king in 522 BC Took power and created a wellorganized efficient government Brought peace and stability Expanded the empire by 500 miles But could not conquer Greece
DARIUS THE GREAT (521 486 BCE) Incorporated Lybia and reduced Nubia to vassalage Gandhara (upper Indus valley) Greece to vassalage
DARIUS AND THE GREEKS Scythian expedition failed disastrously in 513 Scythians could not be brought to battle Ionians holding the bridge across the Danube (the only possibility for retreat) destroyed the bridge Ionians revolted in 499 Athens supported the Ionians and sacked Sardis By 494 the Ionian towns were back in Persian hands Darius punished Athens with a naval expedition in 490
PERSIAN WAR Expedition in 490 defeated by Athenians and Plataeans at Marathon Darius dies in 488 Egyptian revolt broke out in 486 Xerxes invaded Greece in 480 with an army of 2.6 million men and a navy of at least 200 ships Navy defeated at Salamis by Athens in 479 Army defeated by coalition led by Sparta in 479 Athenian navy decisively defeated Persian navy of Mt. Mycale in 479 Athens continued the war against Persia through 449 when Athens and Persia accepted the Peace of Calias Persians controlled Greek politics from 413 to 336 by bribing Greek politicians
SEAL OF DARIUS
PROBLEM OF UNITY Size of empire greater than any previous state Administration difficult Rebellions common Power struggles among elite constant feature of government
FIRST PERSIAN WAR
BATTLE OF MARATHON The Athenians had won at Marathon but they certainly had not destroyed the Persian army. They had made plans before the battle that if they won, they would get word back to Athens as soon as possible because they knew that the Persian fleet was sure to sail around Attica and attempt to take the city while it was undefended. The citizens were to man the walls and make it appear that Athens was strongly defended.
MARATHON PART 1
MARATHON PART 2
MARATHON Phaedippas Miltiades sent a young soldier (probably Phaedippas) to take word back to Athens. He ran the entire distance, 42.192 kms, shouted "We have won!" and fell dead of exhaustion. In memory of this event the Marathon Run was included among the contests since the first contemporary Olympic Games.
RESULT OF THE 1 ST PERSIAN WAR Darius Lost! Persia Continued to lose its power to expand
XERXES 485-465 Became a Dictator Did not follow Darius or Cyrus and was not tolerant Wanted to conquer Greece at all cost
SECOND PERSIAN WAR
BATTLE OF THERMOPYLAE It means the HOT GATES 300 Spartans held off 1 million troops of the Persian Empire Was really a delaying action to stall the Persians so that Athens could be evacuated. Tactical advantage because of choke point in the terrain.
THERMOPYLAE
THE IMMORTALS Xerxes s best troops in the Persian army. Supposed to be invincible. Spartans proved othewise.
THE PERSIANS EVENTUALLY BROKE THROUGH After killing the 300 Spartans the Persians Marched on Athens Athens was deserted; evacuated to the Island of Salamis The Athenians forced a naval battle in the Bay of Salamis
GREEK TRIREME I m a Small Ship..
BATTLE OF SALAMIS
BATTLE OF SALAMIS Persians were bottlenecked in the small bay of Salamis They could not maneuver The smaller Greek Ships destroyed the Persian fleet.
RESULT OF THE 2ND PERSIAN WAR Xerxes Lost! Persia had to retreat home in failure. Never again did Persia expand.
ALEXANDER THE GREAT Macedonian (Greek) King that laid the final death blow to the Persian Empire and conquered it.
WHERE IS MACEDONIA? GREECE?
PERSIAN RELIGION Zoroaster, a Persian thinker, helped to unite the religious beliefs by teaching that a single, wise god ruled the world. On Judgment Day, all individuals would be judged for their actions. Those who had done good would enter paradise. Evil-doers would be condemned to eternal suffering. Christianity and Islam stressed similar ideas.
ZOROASTRIANISM Good went to Heaven - Bad went to Hell Monotheism Priests of Zarathustra known as Magi Oral teachings until Sasanid period composed Gathas
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 68
OTHER RELIGIOUS GROUPS IN THE PERSIAN EMPIRE Major Mesopotamian communities of Jews Composition of the Talmud, c. 500 CE constitution of Judaism Buddhism, Christianity and Manichaeism also survived 69