Persian Empire Lesson

Persia's Empire

A Social Studies Lesson

Persia's Empire

• While Greek city-states were going through changes in their governments, the Persians were building a large empire in southwest Asia.

• Persia was located in what is today called Iran.

Conquered Territories

• In the 500s b.c., a Persian king named Cyrus the Great built a powerful army.

• Cyrus conquered Mesopotamia, Syria, and Judah.

• He also conquered Greek city-states that were in the area of Anatolia (now Turkey).

• The Persian empire became the largest in the ancient world.

Multiple Select

Select all the territories that Cyrus conquered.

• Athens

• Greek city-states in Anatolia

• Judah

• Syria

• Mesopotamia

Cyrus: A Fair Ruler

• Cyrus ruled fairly and allowed the people he conquered to keep their own languages, religions, and laws.

• After Cyrus, new rulers continued to expand the empire.

• Persia controlled Egypt, western India, and lands northeast of Greece.

Multiple Choice

Draw Conclusions: Why did Cyrus rule fairly and allow the conquered territories to keep their languages and rules?

• He was lazy.

• Forcing new territories to change could create uprisings.

• He thought it would take too much time to teach them new languages.

• He was hoping it would make people like him.

The Royal Road

• The Persians improved the network of roads built by the Assyrians.

• They built an important road called the Royal Road where travelers could get food, water, and fresh horses at roadside stations.

• Before the road was built, it would take about three months to travel from Persia to Anatolia. Using the road, the time was cut to just seven days.

Multiple Choice

What did Persia do to speed up traveling?T

• They forced people to run faster.

• They trained better horses.

• They improved roads built by Assyrians.

• They cut through the mountains.

Darius I

• The Persian Empire kept expanding and Darius I ruled Persia from 522 b.c. to 486 b.c.

• He divided the empire into provinces to

  make it easier to manage.

• He called the provinces satrapies.

• Each satrapy was ruled by a governor who was called a satrap that collected taxes and recruited soldiers for the

  Persian army.

Multiple Choice

What is a satrap?

• A governor of a Persian province

• A king of Persia

• A tyrant of Persia

• A noble of Persia

Zoroastrianism

• At first the Persians worshiped many gods.

• Then in the 600s b.c., a religious teacher named Zoroaster started preaching a new religion called Zoroastrianism.

Multiple Choice

What was one thing people that followed Zoroastrianism believed?

• They believed in many gods.

• They believed women were weak.

• They believed people could choose good or evil.

• They believed in the Bible.

Zoroaster

• Zoroaster taught that there was one god, named Ahura Mazda and he was the creator of all things and the leader of the forces of good.

• Zoroaster believed people were free to choose between good and evil, but at the end of time, goodness would win.

• Most Persians accepted Zoroastrianism and they also began to view the monarchy as sacred.

• Persian kings believed they ruled by the

  power of Ahura Mazda.

Multiple Choice

Why did Persians begin to believe the monarchy was sacred?

• They thought kings were given power by the god Ahura Mazda.

• They were afraid of the kings.

• Zoroaster made them believe that.

• They wanted to choose goodness.