Ancient Persian Empire--short

Cause of 1st Persian War

Darius I of Persia and his men attacked tiny Greek city of Marathon as a way to get a foothold in Greece in order to attack Athens.

Alexander the Great

--Conquered the mighty Persian Empire in 330 BCE --In revenge for Xerxes burning Athens years earlier, he torched Perseopolis.

Darius III

--Last king of Persia --Famous for losing the largest empire the world had ever known (up to that time) when he was defeated by Alexander

Spartans

--Small group of 300 Greeks who held off Xerxes' army at Thermopylae for 3 days. --They were defeated. --Their sacrifice gave the other Greeks time to organize troops and for citizens of Athens to flee to safety. (480 BCE).

Xerxes

--Son of Darius I --Last of 3 great kings of Persia (there were others after him, just not fab)

Achaemenid Dynasty

--The dynasty of Persian kings that started with Cyrus the Great --Responsible for creating the largest empire in the ancient world (before Alexander)

Thermopylae

--a narrow mountain pass --name means the "hot gates" --location of famous battle where 300 Spartans stood against a massive Persian army in 480 BC

Cylinder of Cyrus the Great

--clay artifact from c. 540 BCE --1st great charter of *human rights* --tells of the reign of Cyrus and how he treated those he conquered

Persepolis

--name means "Persian City" --capital of the Persian Empire.

2nd Persian War

Xerxes, son of Darius I, wanted to try again to defeat Greeks, but he lost.

Cyrus the Great

1st Great Persian king Freed the Jews from Babylonian Captivity

Royal Road & Darius' Canal

2 huge projects built during reign of Darius (1500 mile road; 130 mile canal)

Darius I, aka Darius the Great

2nd "Great" king of Persia (NOT son of Cyrus)

What uncharacteristic thing did Xerxes do when he realized the Greek city-state of Athens was deserted?

He burned Athens to the ground (regretted it later).

Iran

Most of ancient Persia lies in this modern-day country. Even today, the people still refer to themselves as Persians.

Athens (in Greece)

New power in the Aegean Sea that entered its "Golden Age" after the defeat of Xerxes and the Persians

Europe, Asia, Africa

Persian Empire spread to these continents

Zoroaster

Persian Prophet who taught about the battle between good and evil; also taught about rewards and punishments after death

Winner of 2nd Persian War

The Greeks also won the 2nd Persian War.

Who won the battle of Marathon?

The Greeks won the battle of Marathon.

This issue united the diverse (and often antagonistic) Greek city-states

Their hatred of Persia

Beginning with Cyrus the Great, how Persian kings treated their people

a. They treated people fairly. b. They allowed conquered people to keep their religion, customs, and often, their laws. c. They showed concern for justice. d. They collected the taxes and administered the law fairly. e. They paid workers and were opposed to slavery.

Farsi

the language of Iran and modern-day Persians