The Persian Empire: Territorial Extent

The Persians• Cyrus the Great unified the Persians in 550 BC; Darius I was the greatest

emperor of the Persians• Defeated the Chaldeans, captured Babylon, conquered all of Fertile Crescent

region• Government: professional administration; allowed conquered peoples to keep

laws• Infrastructure: built roads for army and postal service for communication• Greatest Empire in the World at the time!

Palace at Persepolis Persian 521 BCE

PERSIA and the city of PERSEPOLIS

PERSEPOLIS• 518 BCE • King Darius utilized

influences and materials from all over his empire, which included Babylon, Egypt, Mesopotamian and Greece.

PERSEPOLIS

• At the height of the Persian Empire it stretched from India to Africa

• Persia today is known as Iran.

• The city included extensive use of columns.

PERSEPOLIS

• Dauris was followed by his son, Xerxes (ruled 485-465)

• The Apadana (Audience Hall) features wonderful low relief sculpture.

Title: Audience Hall of Darius and Xerxes. Persepolis, Iran

Title: Bull capital, from Persepolis.

Title: Shapur I Triumphing over the Roman Emperors Philip the Arab and Valerian, Naksh-I-Rustam (near Persepolis), Iran