577 6pages
slkdgha
information3.pptxHANDY Study Thesis Review
The Persian Empire 549 to 330 BCE
Formation
Darius I
Zoroastrianism
The Persian Wars 499-479 BCE
Instability in the Persian Empire 464-331 BCE
World Civilization I
“By investigating the human-nature dynamics of these past cases of collapse, the project identifies the most salient interrelated factors which explain civilizational decline, and which may help determine the risk of collapse today: namely, Population, Climate, Water, Agriculture, and Energy.”
“These factors can lead to collapse when they converge to generate two crucial social features: "the stretching of resources due to the strain placed on the ecological carrying capacity"; and "the economic stratification of society into Elites [rich] and Masses (or "Commoners") [poor]" These social phenomena have played "a central role in the character or in the process of the collapse," in all such cases over "the last five thousand years."
The HANDY Study (2014)http ://www.theguardian.com/environment/earth-insight/2014/mar/14/nasa-civilisation-irreversible-collapse-study-scientists
The Persian Empire
549 to 331 BCE
The Persian Empire 549 to 331 BCE
Begun in 549 BCE by Cyrus (leader of a Persian tribe)
Invaded Mesopotamia in 539 BCE
Allowed conquered territories latitude in government, culture, language, and religion
Cyrus’s son, Cymbyses, conquered Egypt in 525 BCE
Darius I and the Persian Empire (r. 521-486 BCE)
Divided empire into provinces, called Satrapies, ruled by a local governor called a Satrap
Standardized currency and weights and measures
Built the ceremonial capital “Persepolis”, a canal from the Nile to the Red Sea, and the “Royal Road” (1,600 miles long)
First postal system
Did not enforce a common religion
Zoroastrianism Below: from Persepolis, Faravahar Symbol
Founded by Zarathustra (Zoroaster) c. 900 BCE
Critical of Persian polytheism
Religion of the Persian Emperors (560 BCE to 331 BCE)
One supreme God, Ahura-Mazda, who is the essence of light, truth and righteousness
Ahriman, a weaker god, controls the forces of darkness
Individuals make the choice between good and evil, with rewards and punishments in the afterlife
Belief that in the future there will be an epic struggle between the forces of good and evil, ending with the final defeat of Ahriman.
End of struggle followed by the final judgment of all the dead
Some scholars consider early Zoroastrianism to be Monotheistic, some Dualistic
Zoroastrianism Continued
The Persian Wars (492-449 BCE)
War with the Greeks
Persian Wars 499-479 BCE
The Ionian Revolt (499-494 BCE)
In 501 BCE, the Greek city state Miletus rebelled against the Persian Emperor. The rebellion was put down in 494 BCE.
The Persian Wars: Major Events
The Battle of Marathon (490 BCE)
In 490 BCE, Persian Emperor Darius sent 20,000 soldiers to attack Athens and Eretria.
The Athenians attacked the Persian army when they were watering their horses and defeated the Persians.
The Persian Wars: Major Events
The Invasion of Xerxes (480-479 BCE)
Xerxes, son of Darius, launched an invasion of Greece to avenge his father’s defeat.
August 480 BCE, Spartans hold off Persians at Thermopylae, while Athenians attack at sea. Final defeat of the Persians in 479 BCE.
The Persian Wars: Major Events
Death of Xerxes in 464 BCE
Increasing problems with local revolts as the leaders of the Satrapies became more powerful
Balance of local and state power
No strong imperial identity?
Increased taxes, in part to address revolts and strengthen rule
Gold and silver shortage
Instability in the Persian Empire
March of the 10,000 demonstrated weakness of the Persian Empire and army
c. 401-399 BCE
Greek mercenaries (hired to fight in the rebellion of Cyrus the younger against the emperor Artaxerxes II) fought their way back from the center of the Persian Empire (Cunaxa) to the Black Sea.
Instability in the Persian Empire Continued
“March of the 10,000” Map
Persian Emperor Darius III defeated by Alexander the Great in 331 BCE
Alexander still had to fight hard to bring all areas under control
Conquest of the Persian Empire
Empire of Alexander the Great
