Introduction

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Croesus ruler of Lydia in SW Anatolia

Cyrus- leader of Persian realm
Cyrus won over Croeus . and Croeus became Cyrus advisor.
Victory over Lydia was major turning point in development of Persian
empire.
Lydia had fabulous wealth due to standardized coins
Classical Persian society took shape during 6th Century BCE
Used MesoP. Tech for administration
Invested in construction of roads and highways allowed for
Send instructions throughout the empire

Dispatch armies in times of turmoil

Ensure that local officials would carry out imperial policies

The Achaemenid Empire

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Empires of Persia rose in Iran (arid)

During 6th century BCE rulers of Persia embarked on series of conquests
Achamenids (558-330 BCE)
Selecucids
(323-83 BCE)
Parthians
(247 BCE- 224 CE)
Sasanids
(224-651 CE)
The Medes and the Persians
1) Medes and Persians migrated from central Asia to Persia before 1000
B.C.E.

Lived in loose subjection of Babylonians and Assyrians

Spoke Indo-European languages
Movements were part of the Indo-European migrations
Shared many traits with Aryans
Mostly pastoralists but practiced some agriculture
Organized themselves more by clans than states or political

institutions, but recognized

Expert archers, had horses, frequently raided wealthy lands

Cyrus
2) Cyrus the Achaemenid (the Shepherd) (reigned 558-530 B.C.E.)
From mountainous region of SW Iran
Tough, wily and outstanding military strategist

558 BCE- Became king of Persian tribes

553 BCE- Initiated rebellion against Median king

548 BCE- Had all of Iran under his control

546 BCE- Conquered Lydia located in Anatolia (modern Turkey)
545-539 BCE- Campaigned in Asia and Bactria (modern
Afghanistan)
539 BCE- gained Babylonia
530 BCE- fell wounded mortally

3) Cyrus's son, Cambyses (reigned 530-522 B.C.E.), conquered

Egypt in 525
Darius
4) Darius (reigned 521-486 B.C.E.); largest extent of empire; population
thirty-five million
Absorbed NW Indian Kingdom of Gandhara, also Thrace,
Macedonia, and W coast of Black Sea.
Largest Empire ever at the time

Had more than 70 distinct ethnic groups under

Darius more important as admin than conqueror
Began to centralize his admin.
520 BCE- built new capital at Persepolis

5) Achaemenid administration
Appointed governors as agents of the central administration and
oversee affairs in the various regions
Divided realm into 23 satrapies
Didnt push direct rule on subjects
Most satraps were Persians; tried to appoint locals as anyone

lower than Satrap

Used spies and contingent of military officers who acted as
checks on satraps power to prevent independency of states.
Darius replaced irregular tribute payments with formal tax levies
o Mostly silver
o Some horses and slaves
Introduced standardized coins
Codified laws of his peoples, modifying them when necessary

Built good roads across realm

Persian Royal Road, 2575 km, 90 days to travel

Organized courier service and built 111 postal stations at

intervals of 40-50 km; each had fresh horses
Improved existing routes between Mesopotamia and Egypt
Built road between Persia and Indus Valley

Decline and Fall of the Achaemenid Empire10/8/2014 9:42:00 PM

The Achaemenid Commonwealth

1) Commonwealth: law, justice, administration led to political
stability and public works
Roads and admin techniques allowed governing of vast empire
Persian concepts of law and justice connected people from both
ends of empire
Political stability allowed massive public works projects to be

undertaken
o Qanat- underground canals
Iron metallurgy spread through all of empire and soon iron tools
became extremely common throughout
Cyrus and Darius respected values and traditions of the
conquered.
Darius allowed Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild temple
destroyed by Babylonians
Xerxes (486-465 BCE) flaunted Persian identity and didnt value
others values. Successfully repressed rebellions but made it far
harder for further successors.

2) The Persian Wars (500-479 B.C.E.)

Ionian Greeks rebelled in 500 BCE
Called Persian governors tyrants
Peninsular Greeks sent forces to help Ionian Greeks
490 BCE Darius sent forces to conquer Greek cities, failed
480 BCE Xerxes resent forces also failed

Lasted 150 years

3)

Alexander of Macedon invaded Persia in 334 B.C.E.

had army of 48,000
smaller than Persians
had heavier arms and more sophisticate military tactics
completed conquest in 4 years
Battle of Gaugamela last battle for Persians
Led forces into Persoplis, confiscated wealth, paid respects to
dead Cyrus, and proclaimed himself ruler of Achaemenids

Died 323 BCE

The Seleucid, Parthian, and Sasanid

Empires

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The Seleucids
1) Seleucus inherited most of Achaemenid when Alexander died
chief generals carved empire into three large realms which they
divided.
Selecus (305-281 BCE) retained most of Achaemenid, former
commander of an elite corps of guards in Alexanders army
Retained systems of admin and tax as well as roads and postal

service.
Founded man new cities throughout and attracted Greek
colonists
Got many revolts due to being foreigners. Soon lost holdings in
India and Parthians took over Iran during 3rd Centry BCE.
Seleucids continued to rule shortened empire until 83 BCE until
Romans took over

The Parthians
2)

The Parthians, based in Iran, extend to Mesopotamia

established themselves as lords of a powerful empire
Retained many of the customs and traditions of nomadic peoples
Had the region of E Iran since Achaemenid times.
Didnt have centralized government but organized themselves
through federation of leaders who met in councils and jointly
determined policy
Skillful warriors
Slowly settled and turned to agriculture and discovered that
feeding alfalfa to horses would make them stronger. Larger
horses could support heavier armed fighters leading to a
formidable cavalry

Parthian satrap revolted against Seleucid overlord in 238 BCE.

Mithradates, greatest Parthian conqueror, came to throne about
171 -155 BCE and transformed state empire.
155 BCE extended to MesoP

Saw themselves as enemies of Seleucids and restorers of Persian

traditions
Governed thru satraps, used Achaemenid techs of admin and
tax, and built a capital city at Ctesiphon on Euphrates River
(near modern Baghdad)
But also kept steppe traditions, didnt have centralized gov as
much as predecessors, vested great deal of authority and
responsibility in clan leaders
For 3 centuries had powerful empire
Beginning of 1st Century CE faced pressure from Romans

2nd Century CE Romans captured Ctesiphon thrice

3rd Century CE fell to Romans

The Sasanids
3)

The Sasanids, from Persia, toppled Parthians; ruled 224-651 C.E.

Used capital of Ctesiphon
Sasanid king of kings
Traded actively with east and west, introduced into Iran rice,
sugarcane, citrus fruits, eggplant, and cotton that came west
over trade routes from India and China
Shapur 1 (239-272 CE) they stabilized western frontier and
created buffer zones between themselves and Romans
Defeated many Roman armies settled prisoners in Iran
After Shapur didnt expand militarily instead engaged in standoff
against Kushan in the east and Roman and Byzantine in west.
Came to and end in 651 BCE when Arabs killed last Sasanid
ruler, overran his realm, and incorporated it into their Islamic
empire.
Persian admin techniques were so powerful that Arabs used
them for Islamic society.

Social Development in Classical Persia 10/8/2014 9:42:00 PM

1) Nomadic society; importance of family and clan relationships

When Medes and Persians migrated to Iran, their social structure
was similar to Aryans. Had priests, warriors, and peasants.
Earlier on maintained steppe traditions.

Family and clan relationships were extremely important. Male

warriors headed clans

Imperial Bureaucrats
Requirement of imperial admin required educated bureaucrats
Important role guaranteed them privileged position in society
Included translators who facilitated communications among

linguistic groups
High-ranking bureaucrats came to share power and influence
with warriors and cland leaders

Free Classes
2) Free classes were bulk of Persian society
City: Artisans, craftsmen, merchants, and low-ranking civil
servants. Participated in religious observations and had right to
share in the income that temples generated.
Countryside: peasants, some of whom were building
underground canals (qanat)
Slaves
3) Large class of slaves who were prisoners of war and debtors

slaves became property

did work assigned
could not move or marry at will
existing family units usually stayed together
provided most of manual labor for large scale projects

Economic Foundations of Classical Persia10/8/2014 9:42:00 PM

1) Agriculture was the economic foundation

needed large surpluses to support military, admin specialists,
and residents
mobilized agricultural surpluses of fertile conquered lands
2) Trade from India to Egypt
linked lands from India to Egypt in a vast commercial zone.
Conditions that promoted growth of trade:
o
o
o
o

Political stability maintained by Persian empires

General prosperity of the realm
Use of standardized coins
Availability of good trade routes

Long-established routes
Newly constructed highways
Sea routes
Markets operated regularly and large cities had banks and
companies
Cities established and colonists attracted stimulated trade

Zarathustra and His Faith

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Earliest cults celebrated forces of nature

Recognized many of the same gods as Aryans
Performed similar rituals
Even used hallucinogens known as haoma like soma in India
Glorified strength and marital virtues
Zarathustra
Classical era Persian religions underwent considerable change

Founder of Zoroastrianism
Late seventh and early sixth centuries BCE
Came from aristocratic family
Most probably a priest

Left family and home at 20 years old. Traveled 10 years, and

then got visions of supreme god called Ahura Mazda= the wise
lord

The Gathas
Teachings originally transmitted orally by magis(priests)

Magis began to write them only during Seleucid period

Compiled them during Sasanids in Avesta, their holy book
Gathas- Zarathustras works that were hymns
Zoroastrian lit. had hymns, liturgical works, and treatises on
moral and theological themes.
Seventh centry CE arrival of Islam destroyed many of these
works
Zoroastrian Teachings

Not strict monotheists

Recognized Ahura Mazda as supreme deity and creator of all
things
Also had six lesser deities
Ahura Mazda engaged in cosmic conflict with evil sprit known as
Angra Mainyu (the destructive spirit/the hostile spirit)
Ahura Mazda would ultimately prevail at one point then all
humans would undergo judgment and would experience rewards
or punishments. Honest= paradise
Did not call for ascetic renunciation

Considered material world as a blessing

Allowed humans to enjoy world- wealth, sex, social prestige- in

moderation
good words,good thoughts, good deeds

Popularity of Zoroastrianism
Sixth century attracted large numbers of followers
Wealthy patrons donated land and established endowments for
support of Zoroastrian temples.
Beginning with Darius, emperors closely associated themselves

with Ahura Mazda

Had imperial sponsorship
Rulers began to claim divine sanction for their rule
Most popluar in Islam also some in MesoP, Anatolia, and Egypt

Religions of Salvation and Cosmopolitan

Society
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Alexanders campaign burned many temples and killed numerous magi.
Since magi still transmitted orally many hymns and holy verse
disappeared
Sasanid dynasty revived Zoroastrianism
Persecuted other faith if it became popular enough to challenge
Zoroastrianism
Faith and magi flourished

Avesta was created

Had difficulties in seventh century BCE when Islamic conquerors toppled

Sasanids.

Some Zoroastrians fled to India

Most converted to Islam

Three religions of salvation Buddhism, Christianity, and Manichaeism

found footing along Judaism and attracted converts
Christianity and Manichaeism became very popular
Influences of Zoroastrianism in Islam, Judaism, and Christianity
Notion of omnipotent beneficent deity responsible for all creation
Idea that an evil being worked against creator
Conviction that forces of good will always prevail
Human beings must strive for high moral standards
Individuals will undergo judgment