Ancient Persia & Ancient Greece

Agenda

• Persian Empire• Politics• Economics• Military• Religion

• Ancient Greece• Significance of Ancient

Greece in W. Civ.• Geography • Vocabulary• Politics• Economics• Religion• Philosophy

Persian Empire

• Politics: “King of Kings” & satraps

• Economics: trade, tribute, taxes

• Military: 10,000 Immortals

• Religion: Zoroastrianism

• Often seen through Greek eyes….

Persian Empire (ancient)

“King of Kings”

King Darius

“King of Kings”

Persian military

• 10,000 Immortals• Meritocracy• Very large army

Cataphracts = Persian knight

Trade, tribute, & taxes in Persia

Persian economy

• Gold daric & silver shekels standardized

• Royal Road: • 1700 miles from Sardis to Susa• “neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor darkness…”

(Herodotus)

• International trade

Zoroastrianism

• Zoroaster (6th c. BC)• Reformer against

sacrifice, intoxicants• Ahura Mazda vs.

Ahriman (dualism)• Alternatively known

as Parsiism.• Magi

Farohars are powerful, holy guardian spirits who aid the god Ahura Mazda since His creation of the universe. Somewhat akin to angels. Farohars can also curse when they are offended.

Zoroastrian Magus

Ancient Greece

Why Greece Matters

• In groups of 3-4, brainstorm for 3 minutes about why Ancient Greece is important in the history of Western Civilization. Both broad themes and specific examples: – E.g., “Olympics: discus, marathon, javelin,

heptathlon; int’l festival every 4 years.”

• DON’T use your textbook; DO discuss it with each other.

Geography of Ancient Greece

Politics in Greece

• Small, urban, independent city-states (poleis)

• Farmer-citizen-soldier• Experimentation w/

different forms of government– Tyranny– Oligarchy– Democracy

Economics in Greece

• Colonization of Mediterranean Sea (see map of “Magna Grecia” in Noble, p. 73)

• Olives, grapes, wheat, plus maritime trade

Religion in Greece

• Polytheistic• Oracles and

divination• Human gods/godlike

humans

Philosophy

• Rational > spiritual• Natural science and

humankind = focus

Vocabulary to Know

• Polis• Phalanx• Ephors• Oligarchy• Arete• Agora• Hoplite• Philosophy• Acropolis• Helot• Tyrant• ostracism