The Persians conquered Babylon in 539 B.C. Like the Hittites, the Persians spoke an Indo-European language. They and another group, the Medes, had migrated into what is now Iran by about 850 B.C. The region became known as Persia and Media. At first the Medes ruled over the Persians. In about 550 B.C., however, the Persian ruler Cyrusthe Great rebelled against the Medes. Cyrus then captured Babylon and took over the rest of the Fertile Crescent and Asia Minor.
Cyrus and later rulers, including Darius I and his son Xerxes I (ZUHRK·seez), expanded Persian rule even more. The Persian Empire stretched between the Indus River and parts of southeastern Europe. Both Darius and Xerxes invaded Greece in the 400s B.C., but failed to conquer it. Nevertheless, the Persians still ruled the mightiest empire in history up to that time.
Government.The early Persian kings were effective rulers as well as great generals. Although all-powerful, they showed great concern for justice. They collected taxes and administered the law fairly. The Persians also treated the people they conquered better than earlier empires had.They allowed conquered peoples to keep their own religions and laws. Secret agents known as “the King’s Eyes and Ears” kept the king informed. As a result, regional governors and military leaders appointed by the ruler were held in check.
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KEYWORD: Holt Researcher FreeFind:Cyrus
Darius I
After reading more about Cyrus and Darius I on the Holt Researcher, create a chart comparing and contrasting their reigns.
40 CHAPTER 2
The Persians built roads to connect the cities within their empire. The Royal Road, for example, stretched more than 1,250 miles. It connected Sardis in western Asia Minor with Susa, one of the imperial capitals. The Persians built these roads mainly for the army and postal riders. Some historians think that later civilizations, such as the Romans, borrowed this idea. The Persian road system helped to link the sprawling empire together. The roads also allowed different cultures in the empire to exchange customs, goods, and ideas.
Persian religion.Perhaps the greatest cultural contribution of the Persians con- cerned religion. At first, like other early peoples, the Persians worshiped many gods. Then, in about 600 B.C., the teachings of a great prophet named Zoroaster (ZOHR·uh·was·tuhr), or Zarathushtra, changed their religious outlook.
Zoroaster taught that on Earth people receive training for a future life. He said that in the world the forces of good and evil battle one another. People must choose between them. Those who chose good would be rewarded with eternal blessings; those who chose evil would face punishment. In the distant future, the forces of good would triumph. Then Earth would disappear.
The teachings of Zoroaster are known as Zoroastrianism. The central beliefs of this religion—the universal struggle between good and evil and the idea of final judgment—have had a great impact on history. Among the many great religions that Zoroastrianism probably influenced were Judaism and, later, Christianity.
The decline of the Persians.The Persian kings who followed Darius and Xerxes lacked their leadership abilities. Consequently, the empire began to lose its strength. In 331 B.C., the Persian Army suffered a final defeat at the hands of the Greek forces of Alexander the Great. Thus, more than 200 years after Cyrus’s revolt against the Medes, the Persian empire was conquered.
Centuries later, Persian power revived for a time under a dynasty founded in A.D. 226 by a ruler named Ardashir, who saw himself as following in the tradition of Darius and Xerxes. Ardashir worked to rid Persia of foreign influences, including those left from the Greeks. He also revived the practice of Zoroastrianism.
READING CHECK:Finding the Main Idea What were the important ideas of Zoroaster’s teachings?
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SECTION 4REVIEW
SECTION 4REVIEW
1. Identifyand explain the significance: Sargon Hammurabi Nebuchadnezzar Cyrus Zoroaster
2. Sequencing Copy the graphic organizer below six times. Use it to plot the main achievements and causes of decline of the empires of the Fertile Crescent.
3.
a. List the names of the various peoples who ruled the Fertile Crescent in the order in which they ruled.
b. Which achievement of the empires of the Fertile Crescent do you believe was most important? Why?
4.
Finding the Main IdeaImagine that you are a traveler in the ancient world who is visiting the Tigris-Euphrates Valley from another land. Write a brief description of Babylonian society.
Consider:
• how society was organized
• how people were treated under Babylonian law and the Code of Hammurabi
• how religion affected the way people acted
keyword: SP3 HP2 Empire
Achievem
ents Decline
The Persian prophet and teacher Zoroaster developed an influential religious philosophy during the 600s B.C.
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KEYWORD: Holt Researcher FreeFind:Zoroaster
After reading more about Zoroaster on the Holt Researcher, make a list of the ways in which Zoroastrianism influenced world