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.