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Seventh Grade: Early World History
Unit 4: Classical Traditions and Major Empires
SS070402
Lesson 2
Student Handout 1- Expert Group Note Tracker: Empire - Persian
Teacher Reference Sheet
Characteristic
Background/
location
Founding
Significant information about this empire related to this characteristic:
 present day Iran, area of Mesopotamia
 Persians came from Inner Eurasia, moved into area
 Achaemenid family group ruled
 Cyrus the 2nd was the leader of this clan / family group
 550 BCE to 330 BCE
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Organization
(administration)
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Religion
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founded through conquest (war)
Persians, lead by Cyrus the 2nd, conquered the Medes (group
previously in control)... this took about 10 years
empire eventually included a large area around the Mediterranean and
into Mesopotamia and down to Egypt
had a policy of religious tolerance... allowing others to keep their
religion
Cyrus freed the Hebrews when he took over Babylon
they developed a bureaucracy
developed satrapies... regions controlled by officials within the empire,
local governors, military commanders, and treasurers that reported to
the emperor
separate system of inspectors, King’s Eyes, had power to kick out
military commanders when needed... effective at preventing rebellion
they developed a system of food storage to keep troops fed, as well as
irrigation systems
leadership changed hands over time... Cyrus, Cambyses, Darius
Darius I introduced Babylonian calendar
largest empire world had ever seen
Zoroastrianism, big idea is that there are two goods, one is light and
truth, the other dark and evil
system of judgment day, with heaven and hell
believed that these ideas influence Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
people not forced to accept Zoroastrianism, but religion important to
Persian Kings
Persian Kings were supposed to be ordained by their god, Ahura
Mazda
the belief system provided for respect of other religions and gods
Zoroastrianism still exists today, now called Parsis
Seventh Grade: Early World History
Unit 4: Classical Traditions and Major Empires
Trade
Decline/Fall
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Summary
description /
categorization
of this empire
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SS070402
Lesson 2
trade was thriving within the empire
Darius standardized weights and measures to help regulate trade
Darius established a money system with gold and silver coins
also built banking houses... beginnings of a financial system
Darius established a 1500 mile long royal road
traders received passports and food and lodging along the road... to
increase and encourage trade
canal built from the Nile River to the Red Sea to help trade
ongoing threat to Persia was the power of Greek city-states
Greeks resisted Persian control and rebelled at times
Persian Army lost to Greeks at the Battle of Marathon
son of Darius, Xerxes, attacks Athens and is eventually defeated by the
Athenian army, this is a turning point
rebellions within the empire
in 330 BCE, Alexander the Great defeats Darius III and takes over,
ending the Persian Empire
Founded through conquest
Had main religion, but had religious tolerance too
Large empire with complex government and trade systems
Strong bureaucracy
Leadership often military leaders
Faced threats from rebellions and other growing empires
Seventh Grade: Early World History
Unit 4: Classical Traditions and Major Empires
SS070402
Lesson 2
Student Handout 2- Expert Group Note Tracker: Empire - Athenian
Teacher Reference Sheet
Characteristic
Background/
location
Founding
Significant information about this empire related to this characteristic:
 -Mediterranean, present-day Greece, city of Athens, also Sparta
 -city-state system, strong local leadership
 -454 BCE to 404 BCE
 -strong navy that helped against Persians
 -constant battles with Persian Empire before they consolidated their
power
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Organization
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Religion
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starts with defeat of Persian Empire at the Battle of Salamis
Persians still a threat, so the Delian League formed... had 140 Greek
city-states in this alliance
Athens was leading state in this alliance
Athens had most power and decided rules for members of the
league
city-states couldn’t choose to leave the league without support from
all other members
when city-states tried to leave, Athens would send in troops to
occupy city-states and prevent them from leaving... thus this was the
Athenian Empire
most well-known leader was Pericles... he forced city-states to join
Athens controlled 172 city-states at its height
Athens talked about independent city-states, but also controlled
other city-states with military force, treated them as subjects and
private property
Athens seized land from other city-states at times and gave it to
Athenian colonists
Delian League... controlled by Athens
Athens collected large amount of taxes from member city-states
money stayed in Athens, not used to develop empire
culture in Athens developed, but not spread out (Acropolis built with
taxes, for example)
subject city-states not happy
cultures of city-states in the empire pretty similar, all Greek
by 500 BCE, old polytheistic religion (Zeus, Hera, Athena) only being
used for public ceremonies
no major religion, a void in the culture
rise in Egyptian cults of the goddess Isis
emergence of Greek philosophy and rational thought (Socrates,
Plato, etc.)
Seventh Grade: Early World History
Unit 4: Classical Traditions and Major Empires
Trade
Decline/Fall
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trade between city-states in the Aegean Sea
military played roles in trade, cleared pirates out of the sea
Athens controlled and managed trade to benefit itself
Athens and Sparta started out as allies with Persia as common
enemy
Over time, Athens and Sparta became enemies
Sparta resisted Athenian control
1st Peloponnesian War started in 460 BCE between Athens and
Sparta
Spartans beat Athenians in 404 BCE and Athenian democracy
replaced with oligarchy loyal to Sparta
Athens is plundered and loses power
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top-down empire ruled by a city-state’s elite rather than an emperor
economically controlled other areas, lots of trade, but one-sided
strong military important to control
starts as alliance system, but Athens takes control
weakened over time by conflict with other city-state, Sparta
falls because of internal conflict
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Summary
description /
categorization
of this empire
SS070402
Lesson 2
Seventh Grade: Early World History
Unit 4: Classical Traditions and Major Empires
SS070402
Lesson 2
Student Handout 3- Expert Group Note Tracker: Empire - Alexander
Teacher Reference Sheet
Characteristic
Background/
location
Founding
Significant information about this empire related to this characteristic:
 Alexander from Macedonia, north of Greece, kingdom of farmers and
herders, looked down on by Greece
 Alexander was son of Macedonian king, Phillip (around 358 BCE) -----Phillip had spent time as prisoner in Thebes (part of Athenian empire),
learns about Greek military, uses these ideas to shape his own army
as king
 As king, Phillip uses his improved army to destroy Thebes and Sparta,
spares Athens, and declares himself king over Greece as well
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Organization
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Trade
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Phillip is assassinated
20 year old Alexander, son of Phillip, takes over
Alexander educated by Aristotle, well trained in politics and war
in 334 BCE, Alexander attacks Persia
over next 11 years, Alexander and his army conquer expanded region
uses Silk Road and other trade routes to move his armies and conquer
new lands
conquered Indus Valley, wants to keep going, but troops refuse, and
Alexander listens and pulls back troops
Alexander keeps Persian bureaucratic system in place (satrapies,
regional officials, etc.) but puts Macedonians in positions of power
as he conquered new lands, he extended this sytem
when conquering new lands, he puts Greek and Macedonian soldiers in
places of power, and they become new elite
Greek and Macedonian leaders often married Persian women, new
group of mixed culture elites, speaking Greek but following some
Persian customs
intermarriage common between Greek and Macedonian soldiers and
Persian women
At the same time, Alexander often destroyed important places to
consolidate power, killed off important men, enslaved many of the
women
Alexander used experts to create roads and systems to increase trade
one of first rulers to develop a groups of experts to help plan trade
routes and systems
trade routes still in existence today
managed and increased trade throughout the vast empire
Seventh Grade: Early World History
Unit 4: Classical Traditions and Major Empires
Religion
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Decline/Fall
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Summary
description /
categorization
of this empire
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SS070402
Lesson 2
Alexander’s mother told him (as the story goes) that his father was the
Greek god, Apollo (god of the sun)
Alexander arrives in Egypt in 331 BCE, consults an oracle (sort of a
prophet who can tell the future) who tells him that he was the son of
Amon and Zeus... Alexander then declares himself Pharoah
he requires his subjects to lie down before him
Alexander returns to Greece where his soldiers refuse to lay down, and
Alexander lets up
Alexander issues coins with his picture on front and Zeus on the back
a few religious cults develop to honor Alexander
Alexander tires his army with 10 years of conquests
Alexander dies in Babylon in 323 BCE, battle wounds, fever, illness
as he is dying, generals ask him to name the next leader, he says the
strongest should get control
three key generals take control of different areas, and empire divided
into three parts
empire centralized on powerful emperor figure, Alexander
strong army key to spread of power
empire used already existing systems to control territory and trade
trade routes very important
empire lead to mixing and spread of both Greek and Persian cultures
Seventh Grade: Early World History
Unit 4: Classical Traditions and Major Empires
SS070402
Lesson 2
Student Handout 4- Expert Group Note Tracker: Empire - Ptolemaic
Teacher Reference Sheet
Characteristic
Background/
location
Founding
Significant information about this empire related to this characteristic:
 Alexander the Great’s empire is divided into three smaller empires
(Ptolemaic, Seleucid, and Antigonid)
 Ptolemaic Empire centered in Egypt
 323 BCE to 30 BCE
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Organization/
Administration
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Ptolemy, former general of Alexander, got best slice of Alexander’s
empire
took control of area in and around Egypt
expanded into what today are Syria, Lebanon, and Israel
none of rulers of this empire ever spoke Egyptian, until Cleopatra VII,
even though it was in Egypt
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Ptolemies ran Egypt like a private estate
they hired Greek and other foreign soldiers to fight their wars and
keep order
they used a system of provinces, areas, and villages (regional to
local governments)
Financial administrator was very important... everything was taxed to
increase the wealth of the empire
Licenses required for many economic activities to bring in money for
empire
Alexandria was major city, center of politics, trade, and culture
Trade
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Trade in this region expanded
built roads from the Nile to the Red Sea
built new ports for maritime trade (on seas/oceans)
imported lots of products like wine, spices, metals
imported elephants as important military tool/weapon
Religion
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Greeks ... Ptolemies... brought Greek gods with them, but respected
Egyptian beliefs
Ptolemy I called himself Pharoah and proclaimed a religious right to
rule
Ptolemy II established a cult to worship his parents as gods
Ptolemies begin to promote cults to worship them and use religion to
justify their power
they follow Egyptian traditions of mummification
had religious tolerance for Jews, allowed Judaism (except for
Ptolemy IV, who persecuted the Jews)
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Seventh Grade: Early World History
Unit 4: Classical Traditions and Major Empires
Decline/Fall
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Summary
description /
categorization
of this empire
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SS070402
Lesson 2
by 200 BCE, empire starting to decline
facing a struggle with neighboring empire, Seleucids
also having financial troubles, and can’t hire soldiers
have to try to make an Egyptian army... this doesn’t work and
they lose money
Upper Egypt breaks away
Ptolemies not concerned with local population, corrupt, in trouble
At the same time, Rome is on the rise
Rome eventually seized control of Egypt around 30 BCE
empire began from larger empire
ruling family controlled empire, mostly concerned with their own
weatlh
lacking a strong local military, they rely on mercenaries (soldiers
for hire)
religious tolerance (for the most part)
mixing of cultures and spread of ideas (Egyptian and Greek)
trade expanded and developed
weakened by internal conflict and corruption
taken over by larger, more powerful empire
Seventh Grade: Early World History
Unit 4: Classical Traditions and Major Empires
SS070402
Lesson 2
Student Handout 5- Expert Group Note Tracker: Empire- Seleucid
Teacher Reference Sheet
Characteristic
Background/
location
Founding
Significant information about this empire related to this characteristic:
 Alexander the Great’s empire is divided into three smaller empires
(Ptolemaic, Seleucid, and Antigonid)
 Seleucid Empire formed by in modern-day Iran and Iraq when
Alexander’s empire broke up
 312 BCE to 64 CE
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Organization/
Adminstration
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Trade
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Religion
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Seleucus I Nicator, a former general of Alexander, took control of
this part of Alexander’s former empire, the largest chunk of the
former empire
in modern day Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and parts of Turkey,
Armenia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan
Seleucus at first took on Chandragupta of the Mauryan Empire to try
and gain control of the Indus River Valley, but he gave up in the face
of 9000 war elephants, signed a treaty, and married off his daughter
to Chandragupta... Seleucus got 500 elephants in return
Seleucid Empire had two capitals, one in present-day Syria and one
on the Tigris River
bureaucracy and military force both used to control the multicultural
empire
empire based totally on the Greek system, although he did keep the
old satrapies in place
Greeks placed in positions of power
new cities were established and set up for Greek colonists who got
land for free
new cities organized on a grid system... early urban planning
cities had local magistrates who helped oversee water supplies,
public bathrooms, etc.
Greek settlers married local women, and cultures mixed... Greek
language common even after empire fell
Seleucus’ treaty with Chandragupta of Mauryan Empire increased
trade and connected India with the Mediterranean through trade
Greek language became common language of trade
Tolerant of other religions
most people living in this empire were polytheistic
Seleucus also told people he was the son of Apollo... had a
birthmark the shape of an anchor, a symbol of Apollo
Seleucus established a cult that made him a god... no problem for
polytheistic locals
198 BCE, Seleucid Empire conquered Palestine and took it from the
Ptolemies, and monotheistic Jews of Palestine were ruled by
polytheistic Seleucids...this lead to conflict
Seventh Grade: Early World History
Unit 4: Classical Traditions and Major Empires
Decline/Fall
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Summary
description /
categorization
of this empire
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SS070402
Lesson 2
empire enters decline about 190 BCE
emperor tried to invade northeastern Greece and came into conflict
with Romans, who defeated them
internal struggles as well, conflict over borders
by 129 BCE, empire had lost all of territory except small area in
present-day Syria
64 BCE this last area of control conquered by Romans
formed out of pre-existing empire that broke up, and eventually taken
over by new, larger empire
bureaucracy and army important for control
cultural mixing
expanding trade networks important
Seventh Grade: Early World History
Unit 4: Classical Traditions and Major Empires
SS070402
Lesson 2
Student Handout 6- Expert Group Note Tracker: Empire - Mauryan
Teacher Reference Sheet
Characteristic
Background/
location
Founding
Significant information about this empire related to this characteristic:
 present day India, out of area of Indus River valley civilization
 extended into present-day Pakistan
 322 BCE to 188 BCE
 Persian Empire, then Alexander, controlled area around the Hindu
Kush mountains
 Seleucus tried to move into this area as well
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Organization
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Religion
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the empire began along the Ganges River
as Alexander’s generals fought amongst themselves, Chandragupta
(a local leader) moved into area that Alexander previously
controlled and took it over himself
Seleucus tried to re-take the area, but Chandragupta was too
strong... ended up marrying the daughter of Seleucus
Chandragupta moved and expanded the empire west and then
southward into present-day India
the grandson of Chandragupta, Ashoka, completed the conquests
and expansion of the empire, controlling all of present-day India
Mauryan Empire used, and even improved, the Persian satrapie
system, adding layers to the bureaucracy
Bureaucrats kept order, collected taxes, maintained roads, etc.
Road system important to trade and control of empire
Chandragupta employed spies to help him stay in power
government regulated everything... especially industries like copper,
tin, bronze production and use
capital city of the empire was right at the center of commerce and
trade
public works projects like libraries and gardens were important in
this city, Pataliputra... likely the world’s largest city at the time...
possibly between 200 and 300 thousand people
height of the empire was under Ashoka
Ashoka was a cruel leader, but he witnessed great bloodshed,
repented, and became a buddhist
Buddhism began developing in India between 563-483 BCE
In Buddhism, your destiny depends upon how you live your life
This belief lined up with Hinduism, an already existing religion in
India
Buddhism stressed ethical leadership, living a moral life, giving to
others, goal is to reach nirvana... enlightenment
Ashoka helped to promote and spread Buddhism by having the
principles of Buddhism engraved on rocks and pillars throughout the
empire
Seventh Grade: Early World History
Unit 4: Classical Traditions and Major Empires
SS070402
Lesson 2
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Ashoka then tried to rule in a moral and ethical way, guided by
kindness and generosity
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empire was an important link in the 4000 mile trade route across
what is called IndoMediterranea (India through the Middle East to
the Mediterranean)
Ashoka helped develop the road system
build shelters and wells along the road system to aid travelers
Buddhism spread along the roads as well as commerce
Decline/Fall
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decline begins after Ashoka’s death in 232 BCE
slow breaking up of the empire with weak leadership
ends around 184 BCE when last emperor is assassinated
Summary
description /
categorization
of this empire
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empire forms as another empire breaks up
strong army important in founding of empire
trade and commerce important, road building key
bureaucracy important to control and development
empire eventually ruled with religious principles of kindness and
generosity
Relgion
Trade
SS070402
Student Handout 7 - Empire Comparison Organizer:
Empire
Athenian
Background
Founding
Organization
Religion
Trade
Decline/Fall
Persian
Alexander
Ptolemaic
Seleucid
Mauryan
Common
Features
What is
the recipe
for an
empire?
Ingredients and amounts (order of importance):
Directions (order and steps in which you use the ingredients):
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SS070402
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