PERSIAN EMPIRE

ORIGINS Persians were an Indo-European speaking

people Location: Southwestern Iran Characteristics

Mostly nomadic Organized into tribes (until united by the

Achaemenid Family)

ACHAEMENID EMPIRE (559-330 BCE)

Cyrus Establishes a

centralized Persian Empire by conquering Mesopotamia (Babylonian Empire)

Permitted Jews to return to Jerusalem after having been exiled by the Babylonians.

Considered merciful and accepted by all conquered peoples as their ruler

THE EMPIRE

DARIUS

Imperial Organization Divided the Empire

into 20 provinces called satrapies

Each satrapy was led by a satrap, who was a governor Satraps “Protectors

of the Kingdom” Collected taxes,

handed down justice, recruited members of the military

DARIUS

Achievements Uniform system of coinage Aramaic is declared official language of western

half of the empire Introduced a postal system

Heredotus: “Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor darkness of night prevents these couriers from completing their designated stages with utmost speed.“ (Sound familiar?)

Expanded empire into India Ahead of his time?

Evidence suggests that Darius considered building a canal from the Nile to the Red Sea (Suez Canal anyone?) How would this have changed the world had Darius

plan come to fruition?

TH

E R

OYA

L R

OA

D

•Ancient highway whose potential was maximized by Darius to better communication

•111 posting stations kept messengers and their horses fresh

•Allowed messengers to travel 1,677 miles in a mere 7 days (undertaking the journey on your own would have taken 3 months)

MILITARY ORGANIZATION

The Immortals Immortals Elite group of 10,000 soldiers. Also

acted as royal bodyguards A fighting group of soldiers was never allowed to

dip under 10,000 Soldiers were constantly replaced on the battlefield

THE DECLINE

Causes Greed

Kings after Darius became consumed with building luxurious places

Increased taxes to support their luxurious surrounding

In Fighting Sons killed fathers for the throne, as did

half-brothers Xerxes II only rules for 45 days Six out of nine rulers were killed after Darius

Alexander the Great Seeing the instability within the Persian

Empire, Alexander attacks and conquers the vast majority of the empire.

Persepolis

ASSESSMENT

Create an acrostic using the word