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Chapter 4 Section 3
8th Grade World History
Mrs. Thompson
The Persian Empire united a wide
area under a single government.
The people of Persia were nomads warriors and lived
in what is today southwestern Iran.
The Persian Empire
The Rise of the Persian Empire
Cyrus the Great:
He allowed different
cultures within his empire
to keep their own
institutions.
He captured Babylon in 539
B.C. as well as Mesopotamia,
Asia Minor,Syria, Canaan,
Phoenician cities to unite Persians
under powerful kingdom.
Tomb of Cyrus the
Great
Conquered
Egypt,
western India,
and Thrace
(region of
northeast Greece).
Leaders
After Cyrus:
Built roads to
connect the empire.
The Royal Road
stretched from
Asia Minor
to Susa
(the first capital).
Persian “Royal Road”
Darius the Great
He extended the
Persian Empire to
the
Indus River in
northern
India. (2 mil. s.q.
mi.)
 Built a canal in
Egypt.
 Built Persepolis.
Darius came to
the throne in
521 B.C.
Darius paid
people to be in
the army (unlike
the Greeks)
A group of
10,000 soldiers
called the
Immortals
protected the
king.
Darius divided the
empire into 20
provinces call
satrapies.
Each was ruled
by a satrap,
meaning
“protector of the
kingdom.”
Satraps acted
as judge, police,
and recruiter for
army.
Darius the Great
(526 – 485 B. C.)
 Established a tax-collecting
system.
 Established a complex postal
system.
 Created a network of spies
called
“the King’s eyes and ears.”
Persian religion was Zoroastrianism
“Good Thoughts, Good Deed, Good Words”
The founder was
Zoroaster who
was born 660 B.C.
Zoroaster taught free
will of humans
and recognized evil
force in the world.
Extent of Zoroastrianism
It was a monotheistic religion that
taught of one supreme creator.
Dualistic Battle of
Good vs. Evil
Ahura Mazda
“Holy Spirit”
Ahriman
“Destructive
Spirit”
“Tree of Life”
Zend-Avesta
(The “Book of Law”)
The “Sacred Fire”  the force
to fight evil.
Both Sparta and Athens played
roles in defeating the Persians.
By the mid-500s B.C.
Persia controlled
Greek cities in Asia Minor.
Persian Wars: 499 BCE – 480 BC
In 499 B.C., the Athenians helped Greeks in
Asia Minor to rebel but failed.
Marathon
In 490 B.C. 20,000 Persians
landed on plain of Marathon.
The Athenians only had
10,000 soldiers.
Battle of Marathon
1.
Persians decided to go
south and attack Athens
directly, so he ordered the
cavalry back.
Pheidippides was sent to
3. Athens with the news and
ran 25 miles from
2.
Greeks charged the field
and easily defeated the
Persian soldiers standing in
the water.
When he got there, he
collapsed and with his final 4.
breath announced
“Victory.”
Xerxes took
Persian
throne in
486 B.C. after
Darius.
He launched
attack on Greece
with 180,000
soldiers in
480 B.C.
http://www.history.com/videos/
battle-of-thermopylaeunfolds#kill-zone-battle-ofthermopylae
They cut off
food and supplies
to the Persian
Army.
Sparta sent most solders with King
Leonidas as commander.
Athens supplied the navy with
Athenian general Themistocles
drawing up the plan of attack.
The Greeks decided best place to
stall the Persians was at Thermopylae
The Greeks United
Thermopylae was a
narrow pass through
the mountains that was
easy to defend.
A traitor told Persians of a mountain
path around Greeks to mount a rear
attack.
Leonidas sent most troops to safety,
but he and a few hundred others
stayed behind.
They fought to the death in order to
give Athens enough time to assemble
200 ships.
http://www.history.com/topics/grecopersian-wars/videos#battle-of-thermopylaeking-xerxes-master-plan
Greek fleet attacked Persians in the strait of Salamis
http://www.classzone.com/cz/books/ms_
wh_survey/resources/html/animations/w
h07_persian_wars.html
A strait
is a narrow
strip of water
between two
pieces of land.
The smaller
and faster
Greek ships easily
destroyed the
Persian fleet.
Persian army
marched on and
burned Athens after
Greeks had fled.
Persian Archers & Soldiers
The Greeks
assembled
largest army
ever in
Greece with
better training
and armor.
The Greeks
crushed the
Persians
at Platea,
northwest of
Athens.
RESULT:
It was a
turning point for
the Greeks
because the
Persians
retreated and
city-states
were saved.
What Caused the Persian Empire to Fall?
Started with …
The Greeks helped weaken the empire
which already had internal problems.
Then this happened …
After Darius and Xerxes, rulers increased
taxes to build luxurious palaces.
And that led to this …
High taxes caused rebellion.
So this happened …
The royal family fought over who would be king.
Six of nine rulers after Darius were murdered.
The results were …
By 300 B.C., the last Persian king was dead and
Alexander the Great ruled over all his lands.
Ancient Persepolis
Persepolis
The People of Persepolis