Pg. 286

GREECE AND PERSIA

THE PERSIAN EMPIRE

Under Cyrus the Great, the Persians built an empire larger than any yet seen in the world!

(559 to 530 B.C.). It was about the same size as the USA is today!

Great leader

Started off Persian Empire by defeating Medes

Conquered much of Southwest Asia and Asia Minor, and East into central Asia

WHY IS HE CALLED “GREAT”?

He treated conquered people very well

Let them keep their own customs

Less likely to rebel

Great respect for him

PARTNER CHECK:

By treating his enemies better than previous rulers, do you think it helped keep the Persian Empire together better? Why or Why not?

CYRUS THE GREAT

Cyrus had a strong, well organized, and loyal Army

IMMORTALS: army of 10,000 chosen for bravery and skill

CAVALRY: unit of soldiers who ride horses.

The cavalry would charge first and shoot enemy with arrows

to weaken themAlmost unstoppable

THE PERSIAN ARMY

• Cyrus, and then his son, died• Darius I became ruler• Political Organization

divided into 20 provinces

governors (Satraps) ruled each province, collected taxes, judges, and put down rebellions

EMPIRE EXPANDS

• Built many roads to connect empire• Royal Road was over 1,700 miles long

• Persian messenger system (very fast)

• Built new capitol- tons of carvings and works of art

• New religion arosre: ZOROASTRIANISM

• There are 2 fighting forces; good and evil

PERSIAN SOCIETY

Darius conquered entire Indus ValleyWanted to move the empire west as well

PROBLEM: Greek city-states in Asia minor rebelled against Persians. Mainland Greece sent soldiers to help

Persians won the fight, but Darius was upset that the Greeks helped

PERSIAN EXPANSION

Darius decided to invade Greece at Marathon nine years later

Persians had 4,000 more soldiers, but Greeks won b/c better weapons and leaders

Started a series of wars called the Persian Wars

PERSIAN WARS

THIS IS HOW WE GOT THE MARATHON RACE! THE RUNNER, PHEIDIPPIDES RAN 25 MILES FROM MARATHON TO ATHENS,

AND DIED FROM EXHAUSTION IN ATHENS.

PERSIANS STRIKE AGAIN

*Xerxes (Zurghseez) became king of Persia after Darius’s death

-wanted revenge for the loss at marathon• 7,000 Greeks held off the Persian army in a narrow

mountain passage near Thermopylae• Themistocles took Athenian navy to cut off Persian

supply ships in the sea• Greeks were betrayed by another Greek who showed

the Persians a passage through the mountains• King Leonidas and his Spartans fought the Persians

while they saved time for the other Greek armies to get to safety

HENCE, the movie 300!

WARRIORS

CAUSE/EFFECT

They say because the Spartans fought to the death against the Persians, the Athenians were

able to gather enough ships to destroy the Persian navy!

Greeks attacked Persian fleet in straight of Salamis

Yet, the Persian army marched to Athens and burnt the city to the ground. (cause/effect: how

do you think the Greeks responded to this?)

ADD THE ANSWER TO YOUR NOTES- PG. 291