The Persian Empire
The Persian empire begins at around 500 BCE and is located east of Mesopotamia. During the time of the empire, Persia has 3 main, important rulers; Cyrus II, Cambyses II, Darius I.
The territories of the Persian empire during the three major rulers;
Cyrus II, Cambyses II, and Darius I.
The Reign of Cyrus II:
The first emperor, Cyrus II (also known as Cyrus the Great), rules from 558 BCE to 529 BCE. He conquers Media in 550 BCE, Lydia in 546 BCE, and Babylon in 539 BCE but continues to respect the people of these place while doing so. Cyrus allows the existing bureaucracy to continue in each place he conquers, and respects their religions and practices. Conquered areas are able to continue their way of life which gains Cyrus respect from them and people, like the Babylonians, welcomes the emperor. This creates a great start for the empire.
The Reign of Cambyses II:
Unfortunately, after the death of Cyrus in 529 BCE, Cambyses II, Cyrus’ eldest son, takes over the empire. Cambyses expands his father’s conquests by capturing Memphis, the capital of Egypt. This capture completes the conquest of all the major powers in the Middle East. However, Cambyses is not as respectful as Cyrus was to the people he conquers. Egypt frequently revolts which required a lot of force to keep under control. While he is emperor, Cambyses is hungry for power and more land in his empire. His own navy refuses to fight and his army fails to capture Nubia’s gold supplies. It is also said that Cambyses may not be mentally or emotionally stable. Rumors say that he kicked his pregnant wife (who is also his sister) to death and, when he dies in 522 BCE, that he committed suicide. Luckily, Cambyses’ rule only lasts seven year. The few years of his rule are very costly to Persia.
The Reign of Darius I:
For a short period, in 522 BCE, a man named Bardiya rules the Persian empire after the passing of Cambyses. Later the same year, Darius I, a general in the Persian army (and prince of the Achaemenid dynasty), murders Bardiya and takes over the throne. Darius rules the empire for thirty-five, and in these years becomes a more effective and skilled leader than Cambyses. You must visit Persia while Darius is in power. He grows to be one of the richest emperor of the Persians.
Advancements in Persia (during the reign of Darius I):
Seeking to create small, efficient administrative units called satrapies, Darius uses already existing local governments in the places conquered to develop 20 satrapies. A satrap, or administrator, is in charge of each satrapy, and each satrap is controlled by the presence of the emperor’s army who reported back to him regularly. A secretary also monitors the actions of the satrap for the emperor. Each satrapy has its own laws and regulations, separate from any imperial influence. Darius revolutionizes the empire’s economy through the standardization of coinage. This promotes trade
throughout Persia. The coin also allows buy and selling with foreign traders and visitors a lot easier. Darius also begins the development of the first written script in Persia. He established the tradition of trilingual inscriptions using Old Persian, Babylonian, and Elamite scripture. During his rule, Darius builds an imperial system of roads with inns along the roads for travelers. This includes the most famous one, the Persian Royal Road which is a 1700 mile royal road that stretches from Susa, the capital during the time the road is constructed, to across Anatolia into Sardis. The road system leads to the development of a postal system with courier stations every 15 miles. A canal is also built along the Nile river and Red Sea, allowing water transport and travel to become faster and more safe. Persian standardized coins
An underground irrigation canal system, called qanat, is invented while Darius is emperor. These canals provide the people with a steady water A qanat in Persia source for growing crop or regular use. Impressive imperial architectural such as citadels, or
fortresses, are built for ceremonial and administrative buildings. Below the fortress walls are the beautiful palaces that serve as homes for administrators and people of the courts. While in Persia, be sure to visit the city Persepolis, the greatest Persian capital to exist. This city contains many of the monumental structures, including, the largest and highest structure the audience hall of Darius. The facade of the bas relief is covered with carvings of lions, bulls, and griffins to state the imperial power that Darius had among the empire. While these structures are a spectacle, they also
show the increase empire’s wealth and advancement under Darius. Sadly, the beautiful capital is sacked and burned down by Alexander the Great from Macedonia, who begins a war with the Persian empire at about 330 BCE. This would not be an ideal time to visit Persia as Alexander’s invasion leads to the fall of the Persian empire in 350 BCE.
Persian Religion:
Zoroastrianism:
Zoroastrianism is the world’s first monotheistic religion. It begins to appear in Persia in 600 BCE, and is believed to have been founded by a teacher, Zarathustra (To the Greeks he is known as Zoroaster). Through a series of hymn, called Gathas, he outlines Zoroastrianism's god of goodness and light, Ahura Mazda, and Ahriman, a sort of dark spirit that symbolizes darkness and evil. Followers of the religion have to choose between Ahura Mazda and Ahriman, or good and bad, and are rewarded or punished, based on their choice, on the day of judgment. The concept of afterlife is further discussed in the Avesta, a book of Zoroastrianism scripture. During the rule of Darius, the religion speedily spreads through Persia and becomes the main religion among the people.
This show the followers of Zoroastrianism The Gathas, a book consisting of a series
worshipping the god of goodness and light, of hymns that outline that religion.
Ahura Mazda.
Life in Persia:
Just like most ancient societies, Persia’s social hierarchy is based on the idea that some people are more superior than others. These ideas revolve around a person’s wealth and power, creating a social structure that all people are bound to. The structure consists of the king and his royal family, religious priests, aristocrats, military, merchants and craftsmen, peasants, and slaves. Majority of the people in Persia are either merchants, craftsmen, or peasants. Once you are born into a class, it is almost impossible to progress into a different level in the society.
Emperor and his royal family - This is the highest social structure with the most power in Persia. Naturally, the emperor is at the top, and then anyone who is related to him by blood or, in some cases, is adopted into the family.
Priests - These are the people who are in charge of performing religious rituals and sacrifices. Persians believe in Zoroastrianism, a religion the pertained to good versus bad, lightness versus darkness, and heaven versus hell.
Aristocrats - This class consists of the satraps (administrators) and advisors to the emperor. They advise the emperor on his decisions and help him to efficiently run Perisa.
Military - People of the army are given much respect and honor in Persia. They help the emperor extended the borders of their land and defend the empire from any outside invasions.
Merchants and Craftsmen - This class contains merchants who are the business peoples and traders of Persia. The merchants would get their supplies from the craftspeople. These are people skilled in making art pieces, clothing, furniture, sculptures, household items, tools, machines and jewelry.
Peasants - This is the original, traditional class of farmers that can be found in every society. Peasants were either laborers or owners of small farms.
Slaves - These are the lowest level of people in the Persian social hierarchy and are often captured from conquered civilizations that refuse to behave. They are forced to lead a poor miserable life, with no rights of their own and the least amount of privileges.
Fun Fact: Women in Persia often wear veils as a way to show modesty by hiding/veiling their body. The veils also provide protection from the heat in the desert-like environment of Persia.
Clothing worn in Ancient Persia;
Men vs. Women
Places to Visit in Persia:
The Royal Persian Road
Persepolis, the capital city
The Audience Hall of Darius and bas relief in Persepolis
When Should You Visit?
The Best of Times:
It is recommended to visit Persia during the reign of Darius I in 522 BCE as this is a sort of golden age for Persia. Many of their architectural achievements and wonders are constructed during this time. This is the time the empire is at its highest.
The Worst of Times:
In 350 BCE, the Persian empire is invaded and ransacked by Alexander the Great’s army. This leads to the fall of the empire, which makes this a pretty bad time to visit Persia.