Lesson 4: The Persian Empire

Activity: Exploring the Persian Empire

Setup:
Divide learners into four groups and assign each group to a station. Each station will focus on a different aspect of the Persian Empire through a lens of context. Learners will use their passports to record what they discover. Set a timer for 5 minutes. When time is up, groups rotate to the next station.

Station 1: History (5 minutes)

Let’s discover the story of the Persian Empire!

1. Read Together: Start by reading the information provided about the Persian Empire.

2. Timeline Activity:

• Open your passport to the timeline section.

• Mark when the Persian Empire began and ended.

• Draw a line connecting these dates to show how long the empire lasted.

3. Word Puzzle:

• Use the clues in your passport to solve the crossword puzzle. Work as a team to find the correct answers based on the reading.

The Persian Empire

The Persian Empire was one of the largest and most powerful empires in ancient history, lasting from around 550 BC to 333 BC. It was ruled by great kings like Cyrus the Great and Darius I, who expanded the empire across Asia, Africa, and Europe. 

The Persians are mentioned in the Bible, with the prophet Isaiah giving a prophecy about Cyrus 150 years before he became king. After defeating the Babylonians in 539 BC, Cyrus allowed the Israelites to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their temple. Known for being fair rulers, the Persians let people in their empire keep their own cultures and religions. 

They also built the Royal Road, an impressive system that made travel and communication easier. Their elite soldiers, called the Immortals, were always ready to defend the empire. 

The capital of the Persian Empire was Susa, but Persepolis served as its ceremonial capital. The empire ended in 333 BC when Alexander the Great, leader of the Greek Empire, defeated the Persians, but their legacy of fairness and innovation continued to influence history.

Puzzle Questions and Answers: 

Down: 

1. The prophet ____________ gave a prophecy about a Persian King 150 years before he became king.

2. Persian elite soldiers were called _____________.

3. A Persian ruler was named ______________ the Great. 

4. The ceremonial capital of the Persian Empire was ______________.

Across: 

1. __________ ____ _______ conquered the Persians in 333 BC..

2. The Capital of Persia was ____________.

3. Cyrus allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the ____________.

4. The ____________ Road helped make travel and communication easier.

Station 2: Geography (5 minutes)

Let’s explore the map! The Persian Empire became one of the largest empires in history. It stretched from Europe all the way to India. The capital of the Empire was located in what is now modern-day Iran.

1. Find Your Home and Iran:

   • Look at a globe or map. Can you find where you live?

   • Now, find Iran! That’s where the Persian Empire was located.

2. Color the Persian Empire:

• On the map in your passport, color in the area where the Persian Empire once ruled. Use bright colors to show how big it was!

Station 3: Linguistic (5 minutes)

Let’s learn about language! Persians spoke a language called Old Persian. The fourth king of the Empire, Darius the Great, made Aramaic the official language of the Empire. 

1. Match the Old Persian Words:

• Work together as a group to try pronouncing each Old Persian word using the English pronunciation guide. 

• Match each Old Persian word with the picture that shows what it means. 

• Once you're finished, check the answer key to see how many you got correct.

How many did your group get correct? Great job exploring the language of the Persian Empire!

Old Persian Words

𐎣𐎢𐎳(k-u-f/⁠kaufa⁠/) - Mountain
𐎭𐎿𐎫(d-s-t/⁠dasta⁠/) - Hand
𐎴𐎠𐏃𐎶(n-a-h-m/⁠nāham⁠/) - Nose
𐎨𐏁𐎠𐎶𐎴(c-š-a-m-n/⁠cašman-⁠⁠/) - Eye
𐎢𐎺𐎼(u-v-r/⁠ʰuvar⁠/) - Sun

Station 4: Culture (5 minutes)

Let’s dig into the past through artifacts! Archaeologists are like detectives of history. They learn about ancient empires and the people who lived in them by studying special objects, called artifacts, that are buried in the ground. These artifacts tell us amazing stories about life long ago.

1. Read through the artifact posters together.

2. Pick an Artifact:

   • Choose one of the artifacts described in the reading.

   • Look closely at what makes it special and imagine what it was used for.

3. Draw It:
   In your passport, draw a picture of the artifact you chose. Be creative and add lots of detail!

4. Write One Cool Fact:
   Write down one interesting thing you learned about the artifact. 

Persian Relief Sculpture: A relief sculpture is carved from stone and appears to “pop-out” of the stone from which it was carved. From the left to the right, this sculpture depicts Persian Guards, an Armor Bearer, a Magus (wise man), and the Crown Prince. Art helps us learn about people in the Persian Empire. The Magi were very important in the Persian Empire. Magi were priests, scribes, scientists, mathematicians, magicians, and medicine men. They interpreted dreams and studied the stars. The Bible tells us that Magi visited Jesus when he was a toddler in Bethlehem.

The Cyrus Cylinder: The Cyrus Cylinder is inscribed with cuneiform script that records the victory over Babylon by the Persian king Cyrus the Great in 539 BC. It also records how Cyrus let deported people like the Jews return home.  The cylinder is shaped like a barrel and made of baked clay. It is about 9 inches long. You can see this ancient cylinder in the British museum.

Gold Griffon Armlet: The ancient Persians were famous for their incredible metalwork! This bracelet is a great example—it has two griffons on it. A griffon is a mythical creature with the wings and head of an eagle and the body of a lion. Griffons were an important symbol of the great ceremonial capital city of Persepolis. The hollow spaces in the bracelet would have been filled with colorful glass or jewels. Persian kings gave bracelets like this as special gifts to honor important guests.