The Persians

2025-09-23

The Persians

• an Indo-European speaking Iranian tribe
• they migrated into the region with other Iranian tribes, the most important being the Medes
• the persians would remain in the Medes' shadow for many centuries
• the persian king Cyrus overthrew the Medes' king and the persians became the dominant power
• conquest of Mesopotamia followed
• the Hebrews were freed
• under Cyrus, conquests continued across Anatolia and the near east, and eastward into India
• Cyrus was appreaciated for his treatment of captured people
• his son, Cambyses extended the empire into egypt
• his successor, Darius I expanded into india, southeastern europe and elsewhere
• established a single law code, a single currency, and a single calendar
• the seed of Persian destruction had already been sown because of the greek cities captured in anatolia
• Darius I launched the first of the wars against greece
• The capital city was Persepolis began by Darius I

The Persian empire was remembered for:

• tolerance of non-Persians

• provinces (satrapies) ruled by satraps

• best roads until this point.

• religious heritage

  • the persians initially worshipped many gods, especially a fire god
  • Zoroaster was a prophet who lived in 7th or 6th centuy BCE
  • Ahuramazda - god, representation of good, will one day judge all souls
  • Ahriman - a satanic figure and embodiment of evil. is locked in battle with Ahuramazda
  • good will one day defeat evil
  • people are free to choose good or evil
  • judgment and eternal life
  • Ahriman associated with the flesh, Ahuramazda with the soul
  • holy book is the avesta
  • priests calles the Magi
  • Magi performed the ceremony and rituals and tended to the temple

• Zoroastrianism thrived until the spread of Islam

• Persia survived until being invaded by Alexander the Great

• Persia would recover as the Parthian and Sassanid empires