Cyrus the Great founded the Persian Empire by conquering the Median kingdom in the 6th century BC. The Persian Empire went on to dominate Mesopotamia for over 800 years and conquered several other empires including Egypt, Syria, parts of Asia Minor, and India. The Persian government, called a Satrapy, was similar to the Roman republic and divided the empire into provinces ruled by governors. Darius I helped expand the empire further and established a new type of centralized government during his rule in the 5th century BC.

1. The Persian Empire
By: Tammy Wong
For Mr. Haskvitz

2. Founding of the Persian Empire
 Cyrus the Great was the founder of the Persian Empire
 He conquered the Median kingdom, and brought together
the Persian and the Median kingdom, making one united,
strong empire.

3. About the Persian Empire
 A group of Indo- European tribes, some
nomadic, some settled
 The first communities in ancient Persia
domesticated animals and planted such
crops as wheat and barely
 The Persians were known for their hand
painted pottery

4. Empires it conquered
 The Persian Empire conquered many empires. Some
of them are: Mesopotamia, Egypt, Syria, parts of the
Asia Minor, and India
 Persia dominated Mesopotamia from 612 BC to 330
BC
 Around 520 BC Darius I took over the Persian empire
and helped the empire grow more.

5. Government
 The government was called Satrapy: a
province or territory governed by a satrap, a
Persian governor.
 This form of government was similar to the
Roman city- states
 Persia and Rome’s government are very
similar
 They both are ruled by republic to sustain
their vast, conquered lands

6. Darius’s new form of
government
 During his career, Darius created a
government, that many other
governments modeled themselves after.
 The new government included a tax
collecting system, allowed locals to keep
their own customs and religions and
had its own system of roads
 It also appointed the Persian Empire
with two official capitals, one at Susa
and one at Persepolis.

7. Facts
 Cyrus, Cambyses, and Darius, created the
largest empire at the time in less than 50 years
 Since the Empire was so big, it was harder to
unite the empire
 Rebellions were common
 Mesopotamian culture continued to thrive in
Hellenistic and Parthian times
 Darius didn’t only form a new type of
government, he was the ruler who expanded
Persia the most

8. Timeline
1000 B.C.
 Kingdoms of Media and Parsa founded by migrating Aryans (c. 1000 B.C.)
700 B.C.
 Achaemenes, first king of Persia (c. 700 B.C.)
600 B.C.
 Cyrus the Great of Parsa rebels against the Medes and founds the Persian
Empire (559 B.C.)
 Persia conquers the Medes (550 B.C.)
 Persia conquers Lydia (547 - 546 B.C.)
 Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylonia absorbing Babylon into the
Persian empire (539 B.C.)
 Cyrus the Great of Persia frees the captive Jews from Babylonia (539 B.C.)
 Cyrus the Great absorbs Phoenicia into the Persian Empire (539 B.C.)
 Elam is absorbed into the Persian Empire (538 B.C.)
 Egypt conquered by the Persians (525 B.C.)
 Darius I quells a rebellion in Persia and becomes king (522 B.C.)

9. Timeline continued
500 B.C.
 Persia, led by Xerxes, invades Greece (480 B.C.)
 Persians suffer defeat by the Greeks at Plataea and Mycale; Persian expansion halted (479
B.C.)
 Egypt overthrows Persian rule (405 B.C.)
 Cyrus the Younger rebels in Persia, but is defeated by Artaxerxes II at Cunoxa (401 B.C.)
400 B.C.
 revolt of Jews against Artaxerxes III in Persia (350 B.C.)
 Lydia becomes a tributary of Macedon after Persia is conquered by Alexander the Great
(334 B.C.)
 Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia at Issus (333 B.C.)
 remants of the Persian Empire fall to Alexander the Great (332 B.C.)
 Persian capital of Persepolis burned by Alexander the Great (331 B.C.)
500 A.D.
 war between Byzantium and Persia (539-562 A.D.)
 war between Byzantium and Persia (572-591 A.D.)
600 A.D.
 Persians capture Damascus and Jerusalem (614 A.D.)
 Arabs conquer Persia and Egypt (641 A.D.)

10. QuestionsQuestions
1.1. Who was the founder of the PersianWho was the founder of the Persian
Empire?Empire?
2.2. What are three empires PersianWhat are three empires Persian
conquered?conquered?
3.3. Persia’s government is most like whatPersia’s government is most like what
other Empire’s government?other Empire’s government?
4.4. Who created a new form of governmentWho created a new form of government
while ruling Persia?while ruling Persia?
5.5. What are the Persians known for?What are the Persians known for?
6.6. Which ruler contributed most to theWhich ruler contributed most to the
expansion of the Persian empire?expansion of the Persian empire?

11. Answers
1. Cyrus
2. Mesopotamia, India, Asian Minor, Egypt, Syria
and India
3. Rome’s
4. Darius
5. Their hand painted pottery
6. Darius