Lesson 5: The Persian Empire (The Fertile Crescent, Mesopotamia, and the Persian Empire)
👑 Persia Becomes an Empire
🦁 Cyrus the Great
Long ago, there was a strong and kind king named Cyrus the Great. In 550 BCE, he started the Persian Empire. It became one of the biggest empires in history!
Cyrus was not like other kings. When he took over new lands, he did not destroy cities or force people to change their religion. He let people keep their cultures. That’s why many called him “Great.”
📖 Story: When Cyrus took Babylon, the people opened the gates for him! They were happy because he respected their gods and temples.
🛡️ The Persian Army
The Persian army was huge and well-organized. It had:
Foot soldiers
Horse riders
Archers
Even camels and elephants in some battles!
The king’s best soldiers were called the Immortals — when one died, another quickly replaced him. So, it looked like they never died!
🏛️ The Persian Empire Grows Stronger
🏰 Political Organization
Cyrus’s son, Darius I, made the empire stronger. He divided it into provinces and chose leaders called satraps to rule each one. Satraps collected taxes, ran armies, and followed Persian laws.
🏃 Darius also built roads for his messengers. The most famous was the Royal Road, over 1,500 miles long! Horses carried messages fast.
📖 Fun Fact: A message could go from one end of the empire to the other in 7 days!
🎨 Persian Art, Architecture, and Literature
The Persians loved beauty. They built big palaces, painted colorful walls, and made strong columns.
📖 Story: In the city of Persepolis, walls were covered with images of people bringing gifts to the king — from India, Egypt, and Greece!
They also told stories about heroes and gods. Their poems, like the Shahnameh, became famous in later years.
🧑🤝🧑 Persian Society
People in Persia had different jobs:
Farmers
Craftsmen
Traders
Soldiers
They followed Zoroastrianism, a religion that taught about good vs. evil and one god named Ahura Mazda.
🌍 Persian Expansion
The Persian Empire grew across:
Mesopotamia
Egypt
India
Turkey
It became the largest empire in the world at that time!
⚔️ The Persians Fight Greece
🏃 The Battle of Marathon (490 BCE)
Persia tried to take over Greece. Darius sent soldiers to a place called Marathon. But the Greeks won!
📖 Story: A Greek man ran 26 miles to Athens to say, “We won!” Then he collapsed. This is where the idea of the marathon race comes from!
🛡️ The Second Invasion of Greece
Darius’s son, Xerxes, wanted revenge. He sent a huge army and navy. The Greeks were scared but brave.
📖 Story: At the Battle of Thermopylae, only 300 Spartans and some friends held back the Persians for three days. They lost the battle but became heroes.
Later, the Greeks won the war and saved their land. But the Persian Empire stayed strong for many more years.
🌟 Why Persia Matters
Cyrus showed that kindness can build an empire.
Darius showed how to organize a big land.
Their wars with Greece changed history forever.