What is unique about the Persian Empire?

The Persians were the first people to establish regular routes of communication between three continents—Africa, Asia and Europe. They built many new roads and developed the world’s first postal service.

Why is Iran no longer called Persia?

The switch from Persia to Iran happened in 1935 when the Shah of Persia, Reza Shah, asked the international community to start calling the country Iran rather than Persia. He even went as far as going to the League of Nations and asking them specifically to start referring to the nation he ruled as Iran.

What purpose did Persepolis serve for the Persian Empire?

The city’s remote location kept it a secret from the outside world, and it became the safest city in the Persian Empire for storing art, artifacts, archives, and keeping the royal treasury. The Greeks had no idea the city existed until it was sacked and plundered by Alexander the Great (l.

What were the two main things that connected the Persian Empire?

The empire was connected by many roads and a postal system. The most famous road was the Royal Road built by King Darius the Great.

Is Persepolis an autobiography?

Persepolis is an autobiographical series of bande dessinées (French comics) by Marjane Satrapi that depicts her childhood up to her early adult years in Iran and Austria during and after the Islamic Revolution. The title Persepolis is a reference to the ancient capital of the Persian Empire.

What did the Persians believe about the Jews?

The Persians believed in a form of worship that is today called Zoroastrianism. It was a dualistic theology that proposed a god of light and a god of darkness who were in constant struggle against each other. The Jewish religion starkly opposed Persian dualistic theology.

What does the Great Audience Hall of Darius and Xerxes represent?

The great audience hall of the Persian kings Darius and Xerxes presents a visual microcosm of the Achaemenid empire—making clear, through sculptural decoration, that the Persian king ruled over all of the subjugated ambassadors and vassals (who are shown bringing tribute in an endless eternal procession). Overview of the Achaemenid Empire

What happened to Persepolis under Darius the Great?

Darius the Great directed a massive building program at Persepolis that would continue under his successors Xerxes (r. 486-466 B.C.E.) and Artaxerxes I (r. 466-424 B.C.E.). Persepolis would remain an important site until it was sacked, looted, and burned under Alexander the Great of Macedon in 330 B.C.E.

Why was Persepolis so important to the Persian Empire?

Primary sources indicate that Darius saw himself building an important stronghold. Some scholars suggest that the site has a sacred connection to the god Mithra (Mehr), as well as links to the Nowruz, the Persian New Year’s festival. More general readings see Persepolis as an important administrative and economic center of the Persian empire.