Chapter 7: The Empires of Persia
Alexander of Macedon
He is commonly known as Alexander the Great, conqueror of Achaemenid forces who invaded Persia with well disciplined army that was better armed and had more sophisticated military tactics.
Magi
A member of a priestly caste in ancient Persia.
Persian Wars
A series of conflicts between the Greek city-states and the Persian Empire; ranging from 499-494 B.C.E. Through Darius's punitive expedition that failed at Marathon, it consisted of three battles.
Satrapies
A system of provincial government in the Persian empire, in which administration is divided into provinces called satrapy.
Darius
Among the greatest Achaemenid ruler, emperors extended Persian empire both east and west, which is largest empire in the world to that time.
Sasanids
Later powerful Persian dynasty, that ruled from 224-651 C.E, that would reach its peak under Shapur I and later fall to Arabic expansion.
Persepolis
New capital constructed by the Persian king Darius, it was a magnificent complex of royal residences, reception halls, and a treasury building.
Angra Mainyu
The Avestan-language name of Zoroastrianism's hypostasis of the "destructive spirit". The Middle Persian equivalent is Ahriman.
Medes
The Indo-European branch that settled in northern Persia and eventually fell to another branch, in the 6th century B.C.
Ctesiphon
The Parthian capital city, it is located on the Euphrates River.
Mithradates I
The Parthians' greatest conqueror, came to the throne about 171 BCE and transformed his state into a mighty empire; eventually extending Parthian rule to Mesopotamia.
Seleucids
The Persian Empire, that ruled from 323-83 B.C.E. It was founded by Seleucus after the death of Alexander the Great.
Parthians
The Persian dynasty, that ruled from 247 B.C.E.-224 C., it reached its peak under Mithradates I.
Zarathustra
The Persian prophet that found Zoroastrianism.
Zoroastrianism
The Persian religion based on the teaching of the 6th century B.C.E. prophet Zarathustra, its emphasis on the duality of good and evil and on the role of individuals in determining their own fate would influence later religions.
Qanat
The Persian underground canals which allowed for enhanced agricultural production and ways to stop evaporation of water.
Gathas
The Zoroastrian hymns believed to be compositions by Zarathustra.
Parsis
The Zoroastrians that fled to India after their homeland was overcome by Islamic conquerors in the 7th century C.E.
Avesta
The book that contains the holy writings of Zoroastrianism.
Battle of Gaugamela
The final meeting between Alexander of Macedon and King Darius III of Persia, which took place in 331 B.C., in which his army shattered Darius's Achaemenids forces a victory, And eventually led the downfall of the Achaemenid Empire.
Achaemenids
The first great Persian empire which ruled from 558-330 B.C.E., which began under Cyrus and reached the top with Darius.
Cyrus
The leader of the expanding Persian realm, he is the founder of the Achaemenid Persian empire.
Pasargadae
The mountain fortress from which King Cyrus ruled the Persian empire.
Manichaeism
The religion founded by the prophet Mani in the third century CE.
Persian Royal Road
The road stretching 1600 miles from Iran to the Aegean Sea.
Croesus
The ruler of the powerful and wealthy kingdom of Lydia in southwestern Anatolia.
Battle of Marathon
The scene of the Athenian victory over the Persians, The Persian invaded Greece in 490 BCE.
Aegean
The sea that lies east of Greece, it is located between the mainlands of modern Greece and Turkey.
Cambyses
The son of Cyrus, he was the king of Persia, he resigned from 530-522 BCE, he conquered Egypt in 525 B.C.E.