Using illustrations from
National Geographic’s
Journey Across Time



civilization SW of what is today Iran
Early Persians were warriors and nomads

united Persians into a powerful kingdom:
An empire larger than any yet seen in the world


539 BC Cyrus’s Persian armies capture
Babylon in Mesopotamia

Then: Asia Minor
Syria
Canaan
Phoenician cities

Cyrus treats the subjects well.

Mesopotamia: Sumer
Ca 3,000 BC
Sargon & Akkadians Ca
2,340 BC
Assyrians
Ca 900 BC
Hammurabi & Babylonians
Ca 1,800 BC
Nebuchadnezzar & Chaldeans
Ca 605
Persians from NE capture
539 BC


Cyrus’s merciful rule helped keep the growing empire together.

They then continued to conquer:
Egypt
Western India
Thrace
(region NE of Greece)
They built roads, including the
Royal Road from Asia Minor to
Susa (the capital of Persia).

The empire was then about the size of USA today





Greek colonization clashed with
Persians
By 500’s BC Persia controlled
Greek cities in Asia Minor
499 BC Greeks rebelled with
Athenian army support, but were defeated
King Darius now decided Greeks must be stopped from interfering with the Persian Empire


490 BC Persian fleet of 20,000 soldiers landed on plain of Marathon (close to Athens)



10,000 Athenian waited on hills
Persians waited, but grew impatient (began to board ships to sail to Athens)
Athenians defeated the
Persians easily

Pheidippides; “Victory!”


486 BC Darius son Xerxes became emperor after Darius died:
Revenge against Athenians

480 BC launched invasion with
180,000 troops and thousands of warships and supply vessels


Greeks joined forces
Athenian general, Themistocles plan

To have time to ready Greek fleet: 7,000 Greek soldiers hold of Persians at mountain pass
Thermopylae (Hot Gates); a narrow




Spartans especially brave incl. Leonidas (Tale of the 300)
Gave enough time to allow Athens to assemble 200 ships
Greeks attacked Persian
 ships at straits of Salamis
& defeated the Persian fleet
Persian army still marched on: Athens

Persians burned the city
Now: Greeks more determined than ever….







479 BC Greeks came together
Greeks crushed Persian army at Plataea
(NW of Athens)
Persians retreated to Asia Minor
Persia: lose strength, internal problems incl. new rulers raising taxes to pay for luxuries, as well as royal families fighting, plots to kill kings/emperors
334 BC Alexander the Great invaded
330 BC last Persian emperor died and Alexander the
Great ruled