Greece and Iran

1
Greece and Iran

• 1000
• 30 B.C.E

2
State-building, Expansion and Conflict

• Medes
• Assyrians
• Cyrus 550 BCE
• Social Class distinctions
• Cambyses 530 BCE
• Further expansion

Warriors
Priests
Peasants
3

• Which of the following should we consider as a
  more important Persian step in Empire Building?
• Expansion
• Administration

4
Darius I - 522 BCE
5
Satrapy System

• Twenty total
• Directly connected to royal family
• Decentralized
• Collect and send tribute

6
Successes

• Royal roads
• Postal service
• Codifying of laws
• Incorporation of local laws into justice system
• Royal judges
• Relatively peaceful
• Government supplied food for workers
• Building of Persepolis as a cultural centre
• Susa (Elam) established as Admin. centre

7
Issues

• Royal tribute hoarding
• Leads to a economic collapse across much of
  Empire by 4th BCE
• Medians pushed out of power positions
• King as aloof people as my slaves
• Strong connection of practices to Mesopotamia
• High cost of Kings entourage
• Huge tracks of land owned by king

8

• Based on the successes and issues of Darius
  rule and the negative attitude of the Greeks
  towards the Persians, why dont we see more
  revolts taking place across the Empire?

9
Persepolis
10
Development and Interaction of Cultures

• Religion
• Zoroastrianism
• Mandate from Heaven
• Philosophies
• Water, fire, earth
• Polytheism

11

• Persian culture under Darius I borrows heavily
  from conquered peoples. To what extent is this
  true in regard to religion?
• It is said that Zorastriaism had a profound
  influence on Judaism and Christianity. Explain
  this connection.