The Persian Empire

Indo Europeans

Neighbors of the Fertile Crescent

I. Origins of the Empire

Medians and Persians

Nomadic Horsemen

Agricultural People

Median Empire—612 BCE (Cyaxares)

Joined Babylonians against Assyrians

Subdued the Persian People

II. Cyrus the Great

King of Persians 559-530

BCE

Overthrew Medians—550

Conquered Babylon

and Lydia

Achaemenid Dynasty

Capital at Susa

II. Cyrus the Great

Spread of the Empire

Asia Minor (Turkey/Ionian Peninsula)—547

Ionian Greeks

Eastern Iran—Nomadic Tribes (Sogdina)

Satrap—Regional Governor

Controlling the Empire

Partnership with Former Leaders if Cooperative (Satraps)

Defeat of the Chaldeans

Liberated the Fertile Crescent

Babylon

Jews—Babylonian Captivity

Tolerance

Native Rulers with Tribute

Median Military Leaders

Religious Tolerance

II. Cyrus the Great

“I am the Lord who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd and

will accomplish all the I please’; he will say of Jerusalem,

‘Let it be rebuilt’; and of the temple, ‘Let its foundations

be laid.’ This is what the Lord says of his anointed, to

Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue the nations before him.” –Isaiah

II. Cyrus the Great

Died in 538 BCE

Cambyses (King of Babylon and Cyrus’s Son)

Invaded and Conquered Egypt with Phoenician Help

Egypt a Satrapy and Cambyses became Pharaoh

Died in 522 with no clear Heir

II. Cyrus the Great

III. Darius 521-486 BCE

Took over after a One Year

Civil War

Egypt

Set up Legal Code

Built a Canal between

the Red Sea and

Mediterranean

Expanded in India to the Indus River (Pakistan)

Greece

Ionian Greeks Revolted with Support from Athens

Burned Sardis

Greco-Persian Wars—Marathon (490 BCE) and Thermopylae

III. Darius 521-486 BCE

Darius’ Achaemid Empire

Governing the Empire

King—Not divine but representing Ahuramazda

Satrap “Protector of the Empire”

Tribute System based on Economic Ability

Roads: Communication System

Royal Road—Linked regional capitals with fresh horses at

stops

Aided Trade across Asia

III. Darius 521-486 BCE

The Persian Army—Hundreds of Thousands

International—Drawn from all over the Empire

Used Archery until out of arrows, then spears

The Immortals—10,000 Man Cavalry

Constantly Replaced

Mobile Combat Regiment

III. Darius 521-486 BCE

IV. Zoroastrianism

Original Religion was

Nature Worship

Mithra—Sun God of

light and war

Magi—Priests who

helped with sacrifices

Zoroaster/ Zarathustra—660

BCE

Wandered in Solitude

Revelations of

Ahuramazda

Agonistic Religion

Ahuramazda “the Wise

Lord” and Angra-

Mainyu/Ahriman “The

Spiritual Enemy”

Contest for souls of the

living

Humanity must

Choose

External or Internal

struggle?

IV. Zoroastrianism

Zoroastrianism

Zend Avesta-Text

Gathas—Songs to the

Lord

Principles of Faith

Rewards for good

and bad

Unseen but

omnipresent

Faith saves

Zoroastrianism

Code of Ethics—Preserve Life and Fight for Justice

Threefold Path—Thought, Right, Piety

Opposition—Lie, Falsehood, Death

Connections to Judaism

Law Based

Holy Spirit

Apocalyptic

Messianic

Judgment--Heaven and Hell

Zoroastrianism

Influence on Judaism?

Babylonian Captivity—Released by the Persians

Change in Nature of Yhwh

Ezra—Babylonian sent by Persians to bring the law

Many identical to the Vendidad

Clean and Unclean animals

Connections to Christianity and Buddhism

Salvation through faith and inner struggle

Mental training Path to enlightenment

Siddhartha born 660 BCE