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Period: 1500 BCE to 500 BCE
When Zoroaster may have lived
Zoroaster was the founder of Zoroastrianism, which is one of the oldest monotheistic religions in the world. Zoroaster lived in Persia and worked to reform early polytheistic religions into a monotheistic religion, which worships the god Ahura Mazda. Zoroastrianism was also the most worshipped religion in Persia, and a big influence in the creation of Judaism. -
Period: 675 BCE to 640 BCE
The Persians settled is Persis
Before the Persian people settled in Persis, they were nomads. The Persians would live throughout central Asia and Iran. They chose to settle in Persis because the land had the protection of the Zagros mountains and access to river basins. The land of Persis helped the Persians start their empire with its fertile land and prime location. -
586 BCE
The fall of Jerusalem
The Babylonian king destroyed Jerusalem and captured the Jewish people. In Jerusalem, there was a temple that was considered the holiest site for the Jewish religion. Losing the temple and their freedom meant that the Jewish people had to reshape the way they practiced their religion. The destruction of Jerusalem would later spark conflict between the Babylonians and Persians. -
559 BCE
The Persian empire was started
The Persian empire was started by Cyrus the great, it was also known as the Achaemenid Empire. The empire consists of modern day Iran, Egypt, Turkey, bits of Afghanistan, and bits of Pakistan. The Persian empire was very strong and the biggest empire of the ancient world. -
539 BCE
Persian Empire defeated the Babylonians
Cyrus the Great attacked the Babylonians because he disliked their leadership and how they treated the Jews, also he wanted their land. By defeating the Babylons the Persian empire got to expand its territory and inherit the Babylionian's technological advances. Cyrus the Great showed tolerance towards the Jews by setting them free from the Babylonians and letting them be a self-governing province in the Persian kingdom. -
530 BCE
Death of Cyrus the Great
Cyrus the great was a very well loved king. He was well known for his tolerance towards non-Persians and showing mercy towards enemies. Cyrus' death was impactful because of his legacy. After he died, his son Cambyses took over and he continued to rule with the same policies as his father. Cyrus the great inspired future leaders with his successful. -
Period: 521 BCE to 485 BCE
King Darius formed the 20 satrapies
King Darius divided the Achaemenid Empire into 20 provinces called satrapies. Each satrapie was put under the authority of a satrap. A satrap were either members of the royal family or of Persian nobility. The satrap's job was to collect taxes and act as the supreme judicial authority. Forming the 20 satrapies was important to Persia because it made it easier for the leaders to govern their people. -
519 BCE
Battle of Pelusium
The Persians invaded Egypt after the Egyptian king offended the Persian king by lying about a wedding arrangement. When the Persians invaded, they quickly overpowered the Egyptians and took their king hostage. This battle is important in history because it shows how truly powerful the Persian empire was. -
517 BCE
Persia conquers Egypt
Conquering Egypt was very important for Persia. Egypt was a great asset because it had the Nile river. The Nile river made the land fertile and was a great mode for transpiration. -
499 BCE
Ionian Revolt
Ionian citizens were unhappy with the Persian government, they felt they were being ruled by tyrants. The Ionians helped the Greeks win the battle of Marathon, and the Greeks helped the Ionianas rebel against Persia. With the Ioninians revolting, the Persians had to postpone their attacks on Greece until the city-states could be at peace. -
490 BCE
Battle of Marathon
The Battle of Marathon was fought between the Athenians and the Persians. The Persian army greatly outnumbered the Athenians. However, the Athenians ended up winning the battle because they had more advanced weapons and armor, as well as better military strategies. -
Period: 484 BCE to 425 BCE
The Royal Road was built
King Darius built The Royal Road from Persia's Capitol City, Susa to the Aegean Sea. The Royal Road made it easier for the Persians to communicate with the satrapies and other kingdoms. The Royal Road also promoted trade to improve the Persian economy. -
483 BCE
King Xerxes comes to Power
Xerxes took over the Persian throne after his father Darius died, his main priorities for the Persian empire were conquering and expansion. Also, King Xerxes lead the Persians in battle with the Greeks. During his leadership, Xerxes made it his mission to punish Athens and Greece for their interference during the Ionian revolt. -
480 BCE
Battle of Thermopylae
The battle of Thermopylae was fought between the Persians and the Greeks, in the mountains of central Greece. The Greeks fought the battle in a tight line to prevent the Persian advances, however, the Persian army received a tip from a Greek traitor, that there was a path that went around Thermopylae and the Persian army could sneak up on the Greeks. The Persian victory allowed the Persian empire to expand its territory into southern Greece. -
479 BCE
Battle of Plataea
Plataea was a city in Beotia, Greece. The battle of Plataea was the last battle of the Persian war fought between the Greeks and Persians. Going into the war, Persia had a much larger army than the Greeks., and in the beginning of the battle the Greeks were getting raided by the Persian cavalry. The Greeks gained the upper hand when the Persians came in for a close combat attack. The Greeks won the battle because they had more armor and weapons than the Persians. -
479 BCE
Battle of Salamis
The Battle of Salamis was a fight between a Greek fleet and the Persian navy. The battle took place between the island of Salamis and the city of Piraeus. The fight was won by the Greeks. The Greek ships were small and could quickly attack the Persian ships and the Persian ships couldn't move fast enough to avoid the attacks because they were too big to maneuver in the narrow Salamis Straights. -
461 BCE
King Xerxes was murdered
The Persian king Xerxes was murdered by members of his royal court after having an affair with his son's wife and murdering his brother as well as his brother's family. His successor was his son Artaxerxes, but the Persian Empire was left in bad shape because the war with Greece depleted the royal treasury. After Xerxes' death, the Persian Empire began to decline. -
449 BCE
The Peace of Callias
The Peace of Callais was a peace treaty between Persia and Athens made to end the Persian and Athenian conflict. It stated that the Persians would stay out of the Aegean and the Athenians agreed they would stay out of Asia Minor. -
439 BCE
Attack on Samos
The attack on Samos broke the Peace of Callais. Bringing back conflict between Athens and Persia because, in the peace treaty, it is stated that Athens had to stay out of Asia Minor. The Athenians attacked Samos because Samos rebelled against them, but eventually, Samos lost the fight and went back to Ahenianian control. -
334
Alexander the Great conquers Persia
Alexander the Great led the attack on Persia by saying it was revenge for how the Persians treated the Athenians. The Greek army was highly outnumbered by the Persians, but the Greeks had good speed and strategies. The Greeks ended up winning the wars against Persia and the Persian Empire fell.