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