Assyria and Persia

3-3

Assyrians: A Short-Lived Empire

• Military conquests made possible by their

use of iron weapons

• Established a large empire by 700 B.C.

• It included Mesopotamia, parts of the

Plateau of Iran and Asia Minor, Syria,

Israel, and Egypt as far south as Thebes.

• Lasted less than 100 years

• Weakened by internal strife and subjects'

resentment, it fell to a coalition of

Chaldeans and Medes in 612 B.C.

Strong Rulers

• Ruled by kings whose powers were

considered absolute

• Became well organized

• Local officials in provinces of the empire

were directly responsible to the king.

Effective Communication Systems

• A network of staging posts was established

throughout the empire

• Relays of horses, mules, and donkeys were

used to carry messages.

Overwhelming Military Force

• Assyrian army was an organized and disciplined

force of infantry

• Supported by auxiliary forces of cavalry and

horse-drawn war chariots

• Had the first large field armies equipped with iron

weapons and were skilled in a variety of military

tactics—especially siege warfare.

• Also used terror as an instrument of war to

overcome their enemies.

Guardians of Culture

• Viewed themselves as guardians of

Sumerian and Babylonian culture

• Established one of the world's first libraries

at Nineveh

The Rise of Persia

• Persians based their empire on tolerance

and diplomacy

• Relied on a strong military to back up their

policies

• Ancient Persia is where Iran is today.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Chaldean

Empire

Nebuchadnezzar II

• After the collapse of the Assyrian Empire,

he made Babylonia the leading state in

western Asia.

Babylon

• Nebuchadnezzar rebuilt the city of Babylon

as the center of the empire

• It became known as one of the great cities

of the ancient world

• The city was most famous for its Hanging

Gardens.

Short-Lived Splendor

• Despite its magnificence, the Chaldean

Empire was short-lived

• City of Babylon fell to Persian invaders in

539 B.C., and the empire ended.

The Extent of the Persian Empire

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Persian_Empire,_490_BC.gif

Cyrus

the

Great

Cyrus’s Empire

• 550 BC – Conquered several neighboring kingdoms

• Military genius

• Controlled an empire spanning 2000 miles

• Kindness toward conquered people

• Honored local customs and religions

• 538 BC - Allowed the Jews to return to their homeland, Jerusalem

• Considered by the Jews to be one of God’s anointed ones

Darius

Darius the Great

• Member of the king’s body guard

• Overthrew the king in 522 BC

• Took power and created a well-organized

efficient government

• Brought peace and stability

• Expanded the empire by 500 miles

• But could not conquer Greece

Persian Empire, 500 BC

Transportation and Communication

• A system of well-maintained roads allowed

Persian officials to travel throughout the

empire

• The Royal Road led from Lydia in Asia

Minor to the capital of Susa

• Way stations along the road provided food,

shelter, and fresh horses for the king's

messengers.

The Royal Road

• 1,677 miles long with 111 relay stations

• Other smaller roads branched off the royal road

• Relay stations had rest areas and fresh horses.

• The entire royal road could be traveled in a week by a horsemen

• Caravans took about a month

How would the royal road enable a

ruler to maintain power in the empire?

Strong Army

• Much of the empire's power depended on

the military—a standing army of

professional soldiers from all over the

empire

• It included a cavalry force (men on horses)

of ten thousand and an elite force of ten

thousand

• Known as the Immortals because

whenever a member was killed, he was

immediately replaced

Fall of the Empire

• Emperors' luxurious lifestyles, a waning of

subjects' loyalty, and struggles for the

throne among the many children of the

emperors weakened the Persian Empire

• Alexander the Great conquered the empire

in the 330s B.C.

Alexander the Great

• Macedonian (Greek) King that laid the final

death blow to the Persian Empire and

conquered it.

Where is Greece?

Where is Macedonia? Greece?

Zoroastrianism

• According to tradition, Zoroaster, revered

as a prophet

• He was born in 660 B.C.

• His teachings were recorded in the Zend

Avesta, the sacred book of Zoroastrianism.

Monotheistic Religion

• Zoroaster believed that a supreme god,

called Ahuramazda, created all things but

that he is opposed by an evil spirit

Good Versus Evil

• Zoroaster taught that Ahuramazda gave

humans freedom to choose between right

and wrong

• At the end of the world, good triumphs

over evil

• If a person performed good deeds, he or

she will achieve paradise

• If a person performed evil deeds, the soul

will be thrown into an abyss to experience

torment and misery.

Zoroastrian Temple

According to Zoroastrianism, how have

humans played a role in the struggle between

good and evil?

(Zoroaster taught that Ahuramazda

gave all humans the freedom to

choose between right and wrong. The

good person chooses the right way of

Ahuramazda.)