1) Persia was settled by Indo-European groups like the Medes and Persians who brought steppe traditions like horses. Neighboring Mesopotamia also provided cultural influence. 2) Cyrus the Great established the Persian Empire and Achaemenid Dynasty in the 6th century BCE, expanding the empire to include most of Western Asia. 3) Zoroastrianism became the dominant religion, introducing new concepts of judgment after death and a cosmic battle between good and evil. It influenced Persian culture.

1. Classical Civilizations 1
Persia: the artist formerly known as Mesopotamia

2. Information is
organized by theme
Patterns and impacts of interaction between humans and the environment
(demography and disease, migration, patterns of settlement, technology).
1. Development and interaction of cultures (religions, belief systems, philosophies
and ideologies, science and technology, the arts and architecture).
2. State-building, expansion, and conflict (political structures and forms of
governance, empires, nations and nationalism, revolts and revolutions, regional,
trans-regional and global structures and organizations).
3. Creation, expansion, and interaction of economic systems (agricultural and
pastoral production, trade and commerce, labor systems, industrialization,
capitalism and socialism).
4. Development and transformation of social structures (gender roles and relations,
family and kinship, racial and ethnic constructions, social and economic classes).

3. Theme 1-demography
• Persia is settled by two competing groups
of Indo-Europeans: Medes and Persians.
• Guess who won?
• Brought with them steppe traditions,
horses and basic social structure.
• Neighboring Mesopotamia provides
influence. Until it is conquered.

4. Theme 3-Politics
• The Persian Empire is
established by Cyrus the
Great, founder of the
Achaemenid Dynasty
• Established his
stronghold at
Pasargadae, and by 548
BCE had brought all of
Iran under his control.

5. Map of the Persian Empire

6. Achaemenids Keep
Rolling
• Cyrus dies in 530 BCE in battle with
nomads. Rule passes to his sons, grandsons,
etc.
• Darius I (521-486) expands empire to
reach its farthest extent.
• Establishes 23 Satrapies; builds
Persepolis, a capital city.

7. Darius dies (alas)
• Succeeded by Xerxes who instigates a war
with the Greeks
• Yes, 300 happens now. Get over it.
• Achaemenids enter decline, Alexander the
Great finishes them off.
• More on all that later.

8. Next Dynasties
• After Alexander dies, three empires arise
one after another
• Selucid (Greeks left after ATG death)
• Parthian (Tribe in eastern Iran)
• Sasanid (claim to be Achaemenid related)
• Sasanids undone by Arab empires in 600s
CE

9. Parthians and Sasanids

10. Theme 4-Econ.
• Early Persians: Agricultural and Pastoral
economic system
• barley, wheat, peas, lentils, mustard, garlic,
onions, cucumbers, dates, apples,
pomegranates, pears, apricots, beer, wine,
horses
• Surplus was regular, land was leased in
exchange for produce

11. Trade
• Long distance trade facilitated by road
construction; 1,600 miles, paved with stone
• India, Red Sea, Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea
routes used.
• spices, metals, minerals, textiles, ivory,
mirrors, jewelry, other finished goods
traded

12. Coins used
• Darius I implements regular tax levy in
place of irregular tribute payments.
• Satrapies required to pay a set amount in
silver annually in standardized coins

13. Theme 2-Lots here
• Religion
• early is focused on cults of sun, moon,
water and fire.
• similar to ancient Aryans (all Indo-Euros)
• Glorify strength, warfare, the goal is a
comfortable existence in this world

14. ZOROASTRIANISM
• Radical changes with Persian Empire
• Zoroaster (a person of dubious historical
validity) in the 6th Century BCE, founds the
new faith.
• Most everything about his teachings, life and
philosophy has been lost.

15. Zoroastrianism
• innovation 1) there is a soul
• innovation 2) it needs saving
• innovation 3) how you live impacts what
happens when you die; judgement!
• innovation 4) One main god, Ahura Mazda,
to pay attention to.
• innovation 5) cosmic balance between
good/evil

16. Zoroastrianism
• Priests are called magi, who are in charge of
keeping Zoroaster’s teachings
• Oral tradition at first.
• Hymns are called the Gathas

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Gathas Code

18. Zoroastrianism fin
• So essentially, people need to follow the moral
teachings of Zoroaster (enjoy the world and its
pleasures in moderation & with honesty toward
others: good words, good thoughts, good deeds).
• In 12,000 years, all souls will be judged by passage
through flame. Honest/good people go to
paradise. Bad people burn forever.
• A cosmic competition pitting Ahura Mazda vs
Angra Mainyu (white vs. black/good vs evil)

19. Future of Zoroaster’s
ideas
• Zoroastrianism becomes the official
religion of the Achaemenids
• Zoroastrianism fades in the onslaught of
Alexander the Great, who kills magi.
• Parthians use it to rally people vs. Selucids
• Sasanids promote it.
• Islam kills it.

20. Theme 2-science, tech,
arts, architecture
• Persians were builders.
• Engineering an Empire.
• Qanats, Persepolis, Pasargadae, indoor
plumbing!
• Art is bas-relief carvings (pg 165)
• Post ATG, statues (pg 167)

21. Theme 5-social stuff
• Social classes are stratified based on roles
• Family/clan important
• Patriarchal leadership--emperor as head of
all the clans, followed by military leaders
• Educated bureaucrats come in--scribes,
administrators, tax collectors, record
keepers.
• They don’t pass military in hierarchy!

22. Social structure
continued
• Free workers make up the bulk of the population.
• includes artisans, craftsmen, merchants priests.
• textiles/weaving was the women’s area, some
were also priestesses
• Then free peasants who owned or rented land
• They could move and marry at will, and
advance through military service.

23. Slavery
• Two paths to slavery:
• 1) Prisoner of War/civilians who rebel
• 2) Debts grow too large, sell your children,
spouse or self into slavery to satisfy payments
• Total loss of individual freedom, cannot move or
marry at will
• Not limited to menial work; use talents.