Persian Empire Worksheets
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Summary
- Establishment and Expansion
- Kings of the Persian Empire
- Life in the Persian Empire
- End of the Persian Empire
Key Facts And Information
Let’s find out more about the Persian Empire!
Also known as the Achaemenid Empire, the Persian Empire was an empire founded by Achaemenid ruler Cyrus the Great in 550 BCE. Its territory was 5.5 million square kilometres or 2.1 million square miles. The Persian Empire ended with Alexander the Great's conquest in 330 BCE. After Alexander's death, the empire was divided and mainly ruled by the Ptolemaic Kingdom and the Seleucid Empire.
Map showing the greatest extent of the Persian Empire under Darius the Great
Establishment and Expansion
- The nomadic Persians arrived in 1000 BCE and settled in what is modern-day Iran. From the western Iranian plateau, these pastoralists established settlements in the Zagros Mountains and Persis with the indigenous Elamites.
- By 550 BCE, Cyrus II, or the Great, assumed control of the Median Empire. The empire was one of the major powers of the ancient Near East, alongside Babylon, Lydia, and Egypt. In 546 BCE, Cyrus led an attack that ultimately caused the fall of the Lydian Kingdom, which was followed by the fall of Babylon in 539 BCE.
- When Cyrus died in 530 BCE, his son Cambyses II succeeded him. Cambyses II successfully invaded Phoenicia and Cyprus and defeated the Egyptian army in the Battle of Pelusium.
- Cambyses further expanded his conquest with the subjugation of the Libyans and the Greeks of Cyrene and Barca. However, to some extent, his invasions of Ammon and Ethiopia failed.
- In 522 BCE, Cambyses heard news of a revolt against him but was wounded and later died of gangrene. Based on the Behistun Inscription, an impersonator of his brother Bardiya, a magus, became king. A magus was a priest of Zoroastrianism.
- In 522, Darius I, also known as Darius the Great, overthrew the impersonator of Bardiya and became the third King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire. He led the army in the invasion of the Balkans, where they subjugated the Thracian people and European Scythians. By the 5th century BCE, the Persian Empire controlled the territories of Mesopotamia, the Levant, Cyprus, Egypt, Anatolia, Armenia, Southern Caucasus, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Bulgaria, Paeonia, Thrace, and Macedonia.
Kings of the Persian Empire
- The Persian Empire lasted more than 200 years, from the 6th century BCE until the 4th century BCE. Although many kings ruled, only a few were considered powerful.
- Cyrus the Great founded the Achaemenid Empire. In addition to expansion, Cyrus was known for the Edict of Restoration, which authorised the return of the Jewish people, who were expelled from the Kingdom of Judah following the Babylonian captivity. Aside from their return to the Land of Israel, Cyrus oversaw the rebuilding of the Temple of Jerusalem. According to Isaiah 45:1 of the Bible, Cyrus was considered a biblical messiah for his role in the migration of the Jewish people.
- Furthermore, throughout his rule, Zoroastrianism spread as far east as China. Today, Cyrus remains a cult figure in Iran revered through the Tomb of Cyrus at Pasargadae.
Painting depicting Cyrus the Great
- The inscriptions of Cyrus Cylinder state that Cyrus proclaimed himself “king of Babylon, king of Sumer and king of the four corners of the world.” The ancient clay cylinder described Cyrus as someone who improved the lives of the Babylonians by repatriating displaced people and rebuilding temples and sanctuaries.
- At the time of his rule, the Persian Empire was the largest in the world, stretching from Asia Minor to the Indus River.
- While the Persians regarded Cyrus the Great as “The Father”, the Babylonians called him “The Liberator”.
- Cambyses II was notable for conquering Egypt, where he took the title “king of Upper and Lower Egypt” and “descendant of the gods.” However, ancient historians suggest that Cambyses ruled Egypt brutally. According to Herodotus, Cambyses killed the Egyptian sacred bull Apis, but no Egyptian sources supported this claim.
- Bardiya, or Smerdis, or his impersonator, Gaumata, ruled the empire for a few months in 522 BCE. While the impersonation incident is still debatable, contemporary historians rejected Darius’ version of the story and believed that Bardiya indeed ruled the Persian Empire. They suggest that the story of impersonation was Darius’ justification for the seizure.
- Darius I (the Great) ruled the empire from 522 until 486. Despite the constant rebellion during his rule, Darius I successfully suppressed it. Aside from reaching the empire’s territorial peak, Darius I divided it into administrative provinces governed by a satrap or a governor.
- Amongst his legacies were the Achaemenid coinage, Aramaic as the co-official language in the empire (the other was Persian), standard weights and measures, and construction projects, particularly in Susa, Pasargadae, Babylon, Egypt, and Persepolis.
- Xerxes I or Xerxes the Great, son of Darius the Great, and Atossa, daughter of Cyrus the Great, succeeded his father as King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire in 486 BCE.
- In history, Xerxes I was known for the invasion of Greece in 480 BCE, which tragically ended with the Persian defeat at the Battle of Salamis.
- In Persia, Xerxes I continued his father’s infrastructure projects and oversaw the completion of the Gate of All Nations, the Apadana, and the Tachara at Persepolis. Furthermore, he continued the construction of the Palace of Darius and maintained the Royal Road.
- In 465 BCE, Xerxes I and his eldest son, Prince Darius, were assassinated by the commander of the royal bodyguard Artabanus.
- The third son of Xerxes I, Artaxerxes I, succeeded the throne and immediately faced a major revolt in Egypt. Moreover, he inherited the Persian war with the Greeks. While some sources suggest that he forged the Peace of Callias between Athens, Argos, and Persia in 449 BCE, no physical evidence of the treaty was found.
- After his death, Artaxerxes I’s son succeeded the throne as Xerxes II but only ruled for 45 days after he was murdered by his brother Sogdianus. After a short reign of six months, Sogdianus was killed by his half-brother Ochus, who later named himself Darius II.
- In 404 BCE, Artaxerxes II, son of Darius II ruled as King of Persia until 358 BCE. Upon his accession, Artaxerxes II faced a rebellion led by his brother Cyrus the Younger, which ended in the latter’s defeat at Cunxa in 401 BCE.
- Aside from dynastic conflict, Artaxerxes’ rule was characterised by Persia’s conflict against Sparta and Egypt. Like his predecessors, he focused on continuing the building projects, including restoring the Palace of Darius I at Susa.
- Religiously, Artaxerxes II became the first Persian king to recognise and promote the deities Anahita and Mithra.
- From 359/58 to 338 BCE, Artaxerxes III ruled Persia. Before becoming king, he was the commander of his father’s army. He succeeded to the throne after the executions of his older brothers and the death of his father, Artaxerxes II. Upon accession, he killed all royal family members and secured his kingship.
- Several rebellions marked his rule, one of which was a failed invasion of Egypt and one of which was successful, bringing back the Persian fold after 60 years.
- Artaxerxes IV, also known Arses by the Greeks, ruled as the twelfth Achaemenid King of Kings from 338 to 336 BCE. Following the assassination of his father, Artaxerxes III. Due to the sudden change of leadership and the minority of Artaxerxes IV, the Persian Empire weakened. Such weakness became an advantage to Philip II of Macedon, who required the Persian king to pay reparations. Upon Artaxerxes’ refusal, Philip sent 10,000 troops into Asia Minor in 336 BCE.
- Meanwhile, Bagoas, who put Artaxerxes IV on the throne, exercised too much authority and influence, which threatened the Persian king. In an attempt to free himself from Bagoas, Artaxerxes IV attempted to poison the former, only to be poisoned himself along with his family.
- For the Macedonians, Artaxerxes IV was depicted as the last true King of Persia.
Life in the Persian Empire
- Ancient Persians were known for their varied art forms. From massive rock reliefs, such as those found at Naqsh-e Rustam, to metalworks found in the ruins near the Oxus River, these were true testaments to the rich artistic culture and influences of other civilisations as they expanded.
- In the 1870s, smugglers discovered silver and gold Persian artefacts near the Oxus River in modern-day Tajikistan. Known as the Oxus treasure, it included around 200 coins and about 180 small pieces of gold and silver metalwork, including a small golden chariot. Today, the artefacts are housed at the British Museum.
- Another art form that the Persians mastered since ancient times was weaving. Nomadic tribes were known to be great weavers, including the prized hand-woven rugs.
- The empire covered present-day Iran, Egypt, Turkey, and parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan at its height. Persepolis, located in southern Iran, served as its capital. In 1979, the ruin was named a UNESCO World Heritage site.
- Zoroastrianism shaped its society and people when the first Persian Empire was created. As one of the world’s oldest polytheistic religions, Ahura Mazda and Zoroaster believers still exist in parts of Iran and India today.
- In ancient times, Achaemenid kings were devout believers. Under Cyrus the Great's rule, the empire was said to have achieved Pax Persica, or Persian Peace, in which diverse religions and ways of life were tolerated. Inscriptions also suggested that Darius I and Xerxes I were Zoroastrians. Similar to other ancient civilisations, Persian kings were at the top of the social hierarchy and considered to have been divinely appointed by the supreme being.
- Following the king and his family, the social hierarchy was followed by the priests or magi, nobles, military commanders, merchants, artisans, peasants, and enslaved people.
- Aside from Persepolis, the ruins at Pasargadae showed extensive infrastructure. Most were sculptured reliefs in a unified style, including altars for worship.
- Imperial administration and official correspondence used the Aramaic language, while royal inscriptions typically used Old Persian, Elamite, and Akkadian.
- In the ancient Persian Empire, women were highly respected. Evidence from the Fortification and Treasury Archives found at Persepolis suggests that women often worked the same jobs as men. They were supervisors and could even gain the title of arashshara, or great chief.
- Aside from performing the same jobs as men, women in the ancient Persian Empire were paid the same as their counterparts. The treasury texts also showed that pregnant women and those who had recently given birth received more rations of grain and wine. Furthermore, they will be rewarded with extra rations if she gives birth to a son. Equality among the sexes was even supported with evidence showing their rights to own lands, engage in business, and even serve the military.
Persepolis clay tablet
- The clay tablets had over 15,000 origins records in the Elamite language, less than 1,000 in Aramaic script, and about 5,000 seals.
- Another notable feature of ancient Persian society was the treatment of enslaved people. During the rule of Darius I, enslaved people were paid servants who could not be mistreated or killed indiscriminately.
- Ancient Persians were highly agricultural. Crops, such as beans, barley, lentils, grapes, sesame seeds, flax, and figs, were grown and traded across the borders.
- If the ancient Romans had aqueducts, the Persians irrigated their crops and gardens through qanat. Other significant contributions included the invention of sulfuric acid, medicinal arts by Avicenna, and the existence of algebra by mathematician Al-Khwarizmi.
- Through trade and the later invasion of Arab Muslims, Persian culture spread to other regions, including the West, through the Silk Road.
End of the Persian Empire
- In 334 BCE, Alexander III of Macedon (later known as Alexander the Great) defeated the Persian armies at Granicus. Issus and Gaugamela soon followed the Macedonian supremacy in 333 and 331 BCE. By 330 BCE, Susa and Persepolis were destroyed, and the Persians surrendered. During the invasion, the tomb of Cyrus in Pasargadae was looted, which angered Alexander. He then put the Magi on trial and ordered Aristobulus to restore the tomb’s condition.
- While the empire’s capital was in chaos, Darius III was taken prisoner by his Bactrian satrap, Bessus, who murdered the former and declared himself Artaxerxes V.
- Darius III was a distant member of the Achaemenid dynasty. Before his claim to the throne, Codommanus (Darius III) was the governor of Bactria. His claim was based on his noble lineage.
- Bessus left Darius III’s body on the road while on retreat to Central Asia. Alexander then brought the body to Persepolis for an honourable funeral.
- After capturing, putting on trial, and executing Bessus, Alexander maintained the original Achaemenid governance structure. However, Alexander's untimely death in 323 left the empire in disintegration, as it was divided among his generals, including the Seleucus I Nicator, who ruled the Seleucid Empire.
- Descendants in later Persian dynasties ruled the Seleucid, Sasanian and Parthian empires and the Kingdom of Pontus.
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Persian Empire
- What was the Persian Empire?
The Persian Empire was a series of imperial dynasties that controlled vast territories in the Middle East, beginning with the Achaemenid Empire (c. 550–330 BCE).
- Who founded the Persian Empire?
Cyrus the Great founded the Persian Empire in the 6th century BCE. He united the Persian tribes and conquered the Medes, forming the Achaemenid Empire.
- How strong was the Persian army?
The Persian army was one of the most formidable in history. It was known for its elite Immortals, a 10,000-strong force that never appeared to diminish in number. The empire also used war elephants, cavalry, and archers.