Greece Notes chapter 7 sec 3

Chapter 7 ---- lesson 3---- Greece and Persia

I. Persia's Empire

            1. Background info- Persians were building a powerful empire (Today's Iran)

a. They were warriors and herders from Asia. Cyrus, their king(500 BCE) built the largest empire in the world.

            2.Creating an Empire-Cyrus held his empire together by treating conquered people fairly.  Places like (Mesopotamia, Syria, Judah, Anatolia).

a. They could keep languages, religions and laws.

b.the next rulers expanded the Persian Empire to Egypt, India and lands northeast of Greece

c.Built roads ....THE ROYAL ROAD --once a 3 months journey..... took 7 days 

            3. Persian Government - Too Large to manage

a. Darius I divided the empire into provinces call satrapies

b.The satrap - collected taxes, judged legal cases, managed police, recruited soldiers (professional army)

c. Immortals guarded the king- if one died another took its place

            4. Who is Zoroaster? religious leader who taught about monotheism

a. Zoroastrianism believed in one supreme god- deity-Ahura Mazda-WISE LORD

b. people could chose between evil and good

c. The religion has about 200,000 followers today

II. The Persian War

            1) Background Info -Persian and the Greeks clashed

a. Persians believed in all powerful king and the Greeks believed citizens should choose their own rulers

b.The Greeks in Anatolia revolted against Persian leaders . They were defeated but angered Darius decided to punish the Greeks by invading the mainland

            2. How did the Greeks Win at Marathon-

a.490 BCE Darius invades Greece. 20,000 Persians landed at Marathon and waited for the 10,000 GREEKS to fight.   Persians then decided to ATTACK thru Athens

b. The Athenians then caught the Persians on foot unexpectedly  and the Persians suffered a defeat.   An Athenian ran 26 miles to tell of the victory (OLYMPIC MARATHON)

            3.Land and Sea Battles

a. 480 A Persian KING XERXES invaded Greece with about 200,000 troops.  All Greek city-states banned together to fight Persia.

b Sparta supplied soldiers and Athens the Naval Fleet

c. Greeks could not stop the Persians at Thermopolis and a traitor showed the Persians a short cut leading around the Greeks from behind

d.300 Spartans fought to their death.

E. The Battle continued for long periods and after 479 BCE  the Greeks final defeated the Persians by defeating their larger ships with Athenian smaller ships and faster ones

F. An improved ARMY with better armor and weapons won finally beat PERSIA.  Peace between the 2 did not come until 449BCE

            4. Decline of Persia

a. After the loss in Greece , Persia could not defend the large empire

b. Persians grew unhappy with the government

c. Kings taxed people and bought luxuries

d. A weakened Persia became open to attacks, 300 BCE Alexander the Great invaded and took over and a NEW GREEK EMPIRE EMERGED