Unit II: Interaction in Eurasia

Petra, Jordan

Empires in Greece, Persia, Rome

• Definition of Empire:

The political control of one people over other, different peoples

But how to control?-hegemony-foreign rule that governs with the consent

of the governed-dominance-exercise of military power, with frequent

resistance.

Persia• Present-day Iran

• Iran derived from “Aryan”

• Indo-Europeans [Medes and Persians] moved into regions of later Mesopotamian empires [c. 1000 BCE] Stone relief of Medes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDiUG52ZyHQ

Chronology of Early Persia

• 1000 BCE Indo-European migrations into Central Persia

• 600 BCE Achaemenids united Persian tribes

• 521-486 BCEReign of Darius

• 500-479 BCEWars with Greece • 334-330 BCEConquest by Alexander of Macedon

Persia

Key Achievements

• unifiers of the Middle East.• ruled diverse peoples. • hegemony through tolerance of local

traditions and granting of local control.• uniform standards.• trade from India to Egypt.• skillful leadership (bureaucracy) and

diplomacy

The Persian Royal Road

• 2575 kilometers long

• Took 90 days to travel from one end to the other

• Post stations, inns, courier service ““Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor

gloom of night stays these couriers gloom of night stays these couriers from swift completion of appointed from swift completion of appointed rounds” rounds” Herodotus Herodotus

Persepolis

Zoroastrianism• Prophet: Zoroaster / Zaruthustra [c.

500 BCE?]

• One supreme god: Ahura Mazda

• conflict dualism-struggle between good and evil

• personal ethics and salvation

• Opponent of Ahura Mazda Angra Mainyu

• There are few adherents of Zoroastrianism today but it left many important legacies to the Judeo-Christian tradition

Modern image of Zoroaster

“King Darius says: By the grace of Ahuramazda am I king; Ahuramazda has granted me the kingdom.”

Jamsheed Choksy, THE SOLAR DIVINITY MITHRA ON LEFT, THE SASANIAN KING ARDASHIR II IN CENTER, AND THE CREATOR GOD AHURA MAZDA ON RIGHT, TAQ-E-BOSTAN, IRAN (300-400)