THE PERSIAN EMPIRE

the persians lived in what is today southwestern iran

AT THE BEGINNING THEY WERE WARRIORS AND NOMADS WHO HERDED CATTLE

Cyrus the Great

• REMARKABLE LEader united the Persians into a Powerful kingdom

• He ruled from 559 B.C. to 530 B.C.

• 539 B.C. Persians swept into Mesopotamia and captured BABYLON

• They took over: MESOPOTAMIA, ASIA MINOR, SYRIA, CANAAN AND THE PHOENICIAN CITIES.

• He treated his new subjects well.

• He allowed captive jews in Babylon to return home

• He had a merciful rule and he hold his Empire

CONTRIBUTIONS• THEY BUILT MILES OF

ROADS• THE ROYAL ROAD

STRETCHED FROM ASIA MINOR TO SUSA (THE PERSIAN CAPITAL)

• PERSIANS SET UP ROADSIDE STATIONS TO SUPPLY FOOD, SHELTER, AND FRESH HORSES TO THE KING’S MESSENGERS

In the days of the mighty Persian Empire, there was a 1600-mile long ancient highway known as the Royal Road

DARIUS

• HE CAME TO POWER THE THRONE IN 521 B.C.

• HE REORGANIZED THE GOVERNMENT TO MAKE IT WORK BETTER

• HE DIVIDED THE EMPIRE INTO 20 PROVINCES CALLED SATRAPIES

• SATRAP «PROTECTOR OF THE KINGDOM»

• HE WAS A TAX COLLECTOR, JUDGE, CHIEF OF POLICE, AND HEAD RECRUITER FOR THE PERSIAN ARMY

• HIS ARMY WAS CALLED THE IMMORTALS BECAUSE WHEN A MEMBER DIED, HE WAS IMMEDIATELY REPLACED

• THE PERSIAN RELIGION WAS CALLED ZOROASTRIANISM• THEY BELIEVED IN ONE GOD• GOD: CREATOR AND FORCE OF GOODNESS• HUMANS HAD THE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG,

AND GOODNESS WILL TRIUMPH IN THE END• IT STILL HAS A SMALL NUMBER OF FOLLOWERS TODAY