Achaemenid Empire

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

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Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/achaemenid-empire

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the peak population control?Estimated to have governed between 40-50% of the world's total population
2. What is the administrative structure?Divided into approximately 20-30 satrapies, each governed by a satrap
3. What was the Achaemenid Empire and how big was it?The Achaemenid Empire was an ancient kingdom that stretched across three continents, from Europe to Asia and Africa. It covered a huge area, including parts of modern Greece, Egypt, and India. It was one of the largest empires ever.
4. Who started the Achaemenid Empire and when?Cyrus the Great founded the empire around 550 BCE. He first defeated the Median, Lydian, and Babylonian empires, then expanded his rule for more than two hundred years.

Satrapy: A major administrative division within the Achaemenid Empire, governed by a satrap.
Ahura Mazda: The supreme deity in Zoroastrianism, the religion of the Achaemenid ruling class.
Persepolis: One of the ceremonial capitals of the Achaemenid Empire, renowned for its monumental architecture.
Zoroastrianism: An ancient Persian religion that influenced the Achaemenid Empire's worldview and imperial ideology.