The Persian Empire

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Medes and Persians

The Medes and Persians were among the groups of IndoEuropeans speaking tribes that migrated around 2000 B.C.E. In 612, Medes, Scythians, and Babylonians jointly attacked and took Niheveh, officially ending the Assyrian Empire. Medes lasted only 30 years (585-550). Under the rule of their King Astyages, their Persian subjects rebelled under Cyrus (from the house of Achaemens.)

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OrAchaemenid Empire
(558-330 B.C.)
Medes and Persians migrated from central Asia to Persia before 1000 B.C. The Medes and Persians were considerable military powers Cyrus the Achaemenid ruled from 558-530 B.C. and launched the Persians first imperial venture Darius reigned from 521 to 486 and expanded the empire both east and west
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Cyrus and his Heirs

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Growth and Organization

Persia under the Medes
Both Indo-European tribes Medes conquered Persians Persians allowed to keep their own leaders as long as they did not rebel

Cyrus the Great

Defeated Medes in 559 BC Expanded Persian Empire Freed Jews in Babylon Respected by those he conquered

Darius I
Crushed rebellion after death of Cyruss son Strengthened army, empire Ceremony and ritual Created satraps to help govern

Persia in Decline
Rule of Darius high point of Persian culture Son, Xerxes, failed to conquer Greece Last strong ruler of Persia

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Persian Achievements
Blended Culture Cyrus and Darius encouraged cultural unity Shared culture led to peace People worked together to improve empire Communication Network of high quality roads Royal Road = worlds first long highway Horseback messengers in shifts Art and Architecture Animals a common subject Persepolis, monument to Persias glory Greatest example ofexample architecture With Susa Greatest Persian of Persian architecture
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Persia Nomads to Persian Agriculture

There was little rainfall in Persia. The Persians are said to have been adept in the art of water- divination The Persians used underground water sources for farming. Underground water sources are called aquifers. reverence for water held in the old Persian religion
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Aquifers allowed people to farm away from rivers.

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Gardening Eden
Garden as Paradise Creating gardens was held in such high esteem that the Persian kings wished to be remembered as gardeners. Among them was the first example of the Paradaisia, the quartered, walled, Persian garden, containing lilies, roses, cherries and pomegranate. It was a paradise watered by a thousand yards of limestone irrigation channels, designed so that the water filled a myriad tiny pools. Wanted to be remembered as gardeners.

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The Persians built roads to connect their vast empire.

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Zarathustra [Zoroaster], 6c BCE:

Good Thoughts, Good Deed, Good Words

Tree of Life
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Extent of Zoroastrianism

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Zoroastrianism
The Persians worshipped many gods until Zoroaster started a new religion in about 600 B.C.

Zoroaster taught that there were two forces in the world: a force of good and a force of evil. People were free to choose which force to follow but they would be rewarded or punished in the afterlife.
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Zoroaster taught that the world is a battle between the God of good, Ahura Mazda, and the force of evil.
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Dualistic Battle of Good vs. Evil

Ahura Mazda Holy Spirit

End of time
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Ahriman Destructive Spirit

Zoroastrians believe that fire is a symbol of their God.

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Cyrus the Great

A tolerant ruler he allowed different cultures within his empire to keep their own institutions. The Greeks called him a Law-Giver. The Jews called him the anointed of the Lord. (In E. Napp 537,

580 529 B. C. E.

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Darius the Great

(526 485 B. C. E.)
Built Persepolis. He extended the Persian Empire to the Indus River in northern India. (2 mil. s.q. mi.) Built a canal in
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Darius the Great

(526 485 B. C. E.)
Established a tax-collecting system.
Divided the empire into districts called SATRAPIES. Built the great Royal Road system. Established a complex postal E. Napp system.

Ancient Persepolis

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Persepolis

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The People of Persepolis

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Persian Archers & Soldiers

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Empires and Dynasties

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Conquered people paid tribute to the Persian emperor.

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Persian Coins

Tribute is a payment from one ruler to another ruler. Paying tribute is a way to acknowledge the superior ruler.
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Darius
Darius empire stretched some 1,865 miles from the Indus River in the east to the Aegean Sea in the west and 933 miles from Armenia in the north to the first cataract of the Nile in the south Population of some 35 million people encompassing over 70 distinct ethnic groups
Description of the construction of the palace at Susa testifies to the diversity of the empire

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Palace at Susa
the sun-dried brick was molded, the Babylonian people -- it did (these tasks). The cedar timber, this -- a mountain named Lebanon -from there was brought. The Assyrian people, it brought it to Babylon; from Babylon the Carians and the Ionians brought it to Susa. The yaktimber was brought from Gandara and from Carmania. The gold was brought from Sardis and from Bactria, which here was wrought. The precious stone lapis lazuli and carnelian which was wrought here, this was brought from Sogdiana. The precious stone turquoise, this was brought from Chorasmia, which was wrought here. The silver and the ebony were brought from Egypt. E. Napp

Palace at Susa
The ornamentation with which the wall was adorned, that from Ionia was brought. The ivory which was wrought here, was brought from Ethiopia and from Sind and from Arachosia. The stone columns which were here wrought, a village named Abiradu, in Elam -- from there were brought. The stone-cutters who wrought the stone, those were Ionians and Sardians. The goldsmiths who wrought the gold, those were Medes and Egyptians. The men who wrought the wood, those were Sardians and Egyptians. The men who wrought the baked brick, those were Babylonians. The men who adorned the wall, those were Medes Napp Egyptians. and E.

Darius
Governing such a far-flung empire would prove to be a more difficult challenge than conquering it Darius was an excellent administrator He arrived at a finely tuned balance between central initiative and local administration Centralization Authority Persepolis Royal Road Standardized taxes Localization Satraps E. Napp Tolerance

Authority: Centralization
Achaemenid rulers held the official title of The Great King, King of Kings, King of Persia, King of Countries Darius ruled by the grace of Ahura Mazda, the Zoroastrian god of light
A great god is Ahura Mazda, who created the earth, who created the sky, who created man, who created happiness for man, who made Darius king.
Zoroastrianism was a Persian religion which emphasized the duality of good and evil and the role of individuals in determining their own fate
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Authority: Centralization
Kings decision on all matters of policy was final King was commanderin-chief of the army and ceremoniously took his position in the center of the formation
There he was protected by an elite royal bodyguard
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The Greeks called the bodyguard the Ten Thousand Immortals

Persepolis: Centralization
Soon after Darius came to power he began centralizing his administration About 520 he began building a new capital in Persepolis
Would become the nerve center of the Persian empire
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Palace of Darius

Persepolis: Centralization
Persepolis had vast reception halls, lavish royal residences, and a well-protected treasury It was designed to be not just an administrative center but also a monument to the Achaemenid dynasty
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Gate of All Nations at entrance to city

Persepolis: Centralization
Persepolis was full of advisors, ministers, diplomats, scribes, accountants, translators, and other bureaucratic officials Governors served as agents of the central administration to oversee affairs in the various regions
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Persepolis is near modern day Shiraz in Iran

Satraps: Localization
Darius divided the kingdom into 23 satrapies
Administrative and taxation districts governed by satraps

Satraps were royal appointees, often members of the royal dynasty by birth or marriage
Satrapies tended to become virtually hereditary domains
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Satrap receiving a visitor

Satraps: Localization
Principal duty of the satrap was to collect taxes and deliver them to the central treasury Before Darius, Cyrus had accepted irregular, periodic gifts as tribute from subject lands and cities Though often lavish, these gifts did not provide a consistent and reliable source of income Darius changed all that

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Standardized Taxes: Centralization

Darius replaced the irregular payments with formal tax levies Each satrapy was required to pay a set quantity of silver and in some cases a levy of horses and slaves also to the imperial court In order to expedite payments, he issued standard coins
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Gold coin issued by Darius, known after him as a daric

Localization: Legal Tolerance

Darius did not abolish the existing laws of individual lands and peoples He had no uniform law code for the entire empire He did direct legal experts to codify the laws of the subject people and modify them as necessary to harmonize them with the legal principles observed by the empire as a whole
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Localization: Religious Tolerance

Now then, Tattenai, governor of TransEuphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and you, their fellow officials of that province, stay away from there. Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site.
Ezra 6: 6-7

Darius also funded the project and provided harsh penalties for anyone who interfered
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Royal Road: Centralization

The Royal Road stretched 1,600 miles from the Aegean port of Ephesus to Sardis in Anatolia, through Mesopotamia along the Tigris River, to Susa in Iran, with an extension to Pasargadae and Persepolis Caravans took 90 days to travel the route Inns along the way provided lodging The road was well policed for safety
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Royal Road: Centralization

Darius established 111 postal stations at 25 to 30 mile intervals along the route Each station kept a fresh supply of horses so couriers could travel the entire route in one week
Like the Pony Express

Herodotus praised the couriers saying, Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.
Motto of the US Postal Service
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Checks and Balances

Since the satraps were often far away from Persepolis, there was always the possibility they might ally with local groups and become independent of the central authority To prevent this, Darius:
Placed a contingent of military officers and tax collectors in each satrapy to serve as a check on the satraps power and influence Appointed agents to serve as the eyes and ears of the king by traveling throughout the empire conducting surprise audits and gathering intelligence
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