3. The Religions
of Persia
• Zoroastrianism
– Zoroaster, a Persian prophet
– Struggle between evil and good, all
are involved
– Monotheistic: Ahura Mazda
– Popular amongst Roman military
• Judaism
4. Remember Cyrus?
• Developed a vast Persian Empire
• First emperor of Persia
• Conquered the Ionian Greeks
5. Cyrus’ Legacies
• Religious Tolerance
–Cyrus honored local religious customs
–Welcomed Jews to return to Jerusalem
• Civility
–Armies did not loot conquests
–Kind toward conquered peoples
6. After Cyrus…
• Darius seizes throne
in 522 BCE
–Crushed revolts
–Expands empire into
Greece, farther into
Egypt, farther north
into central Europe
7. Key Player: Darius
• Under Darius – Ionian Greeks rebelled
against Persia to gain independence
• Athens helped the Ionian Greeks by
sending aid
• Persia stopped the Ionian rebels and
wanted revenge on Athens for
interfering with their personal business
9. • As we read the selection, “The Persian Wars”,
think about the causes of the wars, the
important leaders and battles, and the effects
of the wars. You’ll be creating a comic strip of
them afterwards!
20. The Aftermath: Effects of the War
• Both Athens and Sparta claim credit for
victory over Persia = led to problems
• Sparta was still very weak after
Thermopylae
• Athens emerges as the most powerful city-state
(bully)
• Athens creates the Delian League (alliance
with other city states to protect themselves
if Persia ever returns)
• Athens rebuilds their city-state better than
ever, and they experience a GOLDEN AGE.
21. Last Stand of the 300
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q8MF6I9Tw4
– Start at 1:10
