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Lesson summary: Ancient Persia
Overview of the Achaemenid Empire in Persia.
Key Terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Achaemenid Dynasty | Persian ruling dynasty established by Cyrus the Great |
| Darius the Great | a general who succeeded Cyrus’s son and became one of the most powerful rulers of the empire, extending Persian rule to its greatest extent |
| Persepolis | the imperial capital city Darius constructed; means “city of the Persians” in Greek |
| satrapy | a province of the Persian Empire; Darius the Great reorganized the empire by dividing it into satrapies and appointing a political governor, or satrap, for each province |
| Royal Road | highway completed during Darius’s reign, used for trade and to transmit information quickly |
| Behistun inscription | stone slab carved with an inscription along a road between the capitals of Media and Babylonia during the reign of Darius I; this inscription recorded the history of the Persian kings in three languages: Elamite, Babylonian, and Old Persian. |
| Zoroastrianism | a major religion practiced in the Achaemenid Empire, Zoroastrians believed in a supreme god, Ahura Mazda, and probably influenced later monotheistic religions |
Key dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| c.550 BCE | founding of Achaemenid Persian Empire by Cyrus the Great |
| 532 BCE—486 BCE | reign of Darius the Great |
| c.499 BCE—449 BCE | Greco-Persian Wars, ongoing conflicts between Greek city-states and Persian Empire |
| 330 BCE | Alexander the Great claimed title of Persian Emperor, ending the Achaemenid Dynasty |
Key Themes
State building: Rulers created new governing institutions and practices, especially as empires grew. Darius the Great established a centralized government with a standardized currency and installed satraps, or local governors, that reported directly to him. He also built a road system and established a spy network to keep up with events across his large empire.
Economics: Empires found ways to improve economic activities. Under the reign of Darius, the Royal Road was constructed. This large highway facilitated trade and fast communication. Also, Darius introduced a standard currency, which made trade and collection of taxes easier.
Review questions
- What were three ways in which Darius the Great changed the way the Persian Empire was governed?
- What were two benefits of the Royal Road? What were two benefits of standardized currency?
- How were the methods used by Persian rulers to control their empire similar or different to methods used by other imperial rulers?