Unit 3 Early Empires in the Near East

Sargon

2340 B.C. leader of the Akkadians who overran the Sumerian city-state and set up the first empire.

Around 2340 b.c., the Sumerian city-states were conquered by the Akkadians under their leader A. Sargon. C. Darius. B.Hammurabi. D.Zoroaster.

A. Sargon.

In a Mesopotamian family, who wielded the most power? A. the father B. the mother C. the oldest family member D.it varied from family to family

A. the father

Hammurabi

Amorite ruler of Babylon (1792-1750 B.C.E.). He conquered many city-states in southern and northern Mesopotamia and is best known for a code of laws.

At its height, the Assyrian empire was ruled by kings A. who spent most of their resources building magnificent temples and monuments to themselves. B. who claimed absolute power over their subjects. C. who only wanted to make comfortable lives for themselves. D.who sent and received lots of messages.

B. who claimed absolute power over their subjects.

In 539 B. C., Babylon fell to the A. Chaldeans. C. Persians. B.Hittites. D.Kushites.

C. Persians.

The phrase "an eye for an eye" sums up a concept known as A. divide and conquer. C. the principle of retaliation. B.the Code of Hammurabi. D.a tooth for a tooth.

C. the principle of retaliation.

The Zoroastrians believe that A. Ahuramazda is an embodiment of the god of the sun disk, Aten. B. it is possible to achieve paradise before the last judgment, if a person performs exceptionally good deeds. C. the supreme god, Ahuramazda, is a good spirit who is opposed by an evil spirit, Ahriman. D.the world was created by Ahriman, but now Ahuramazda controls it.

C. the supreme god, Ahuramazda, is a good spirit who is opposed by an evil spirit, Ahriman.

Patriarchal

Dominated by men

Hanging Gardens

Feature of the city of Babylon after Nebuchadnezzar II made it the center of his empire.

Amenhotep IV

He was the son and successor of Amenhotep |||, and was even less capable of dealing with the threat of the Hittites, due to his efforts to convert Egyptian religion into a monotheistic one with Aten as the sole god, and he even changed his name to Akhenaten ("Servant of Aten') in the attempt.

Persian Empire

Lasted for 200 years. A indo european group.

Satraps and Satrapies

Satrapy was one of the 20 provinces into which Darius divided the Persian Empire. Satrapies is "protector of the kingdom"; the governor of a province (satrapy) of the Persian Empire under Darius.

Naram-Sin

The Akkadian ruler who claimed to be divine and had a temple built for him.

Tutankhamen

The boy-pharaoh who was the son to Akhenaten. He undid the changes his father had made, and restored the old gods.

Ahmose I

This Egyptian pharaoh managed to defeat and expel the Hyksos and reunited Egypt; establishing the New Kingdom. He also began a new militaristic path for the Egyptians.

Empire

a large political unit or state, usually under a single leader, that controls many peoples or territories.

Code of Hammurabi

a written code of rules that guided the ancient society of Babylon.

Assyrian Empire

developed a military machine and established a well-organized administration.

Artaxerxes II

son of darius.

Nebuchadnezzar II

A Chaldean King who restored the city Babylon 1000 years after Hammurabi. Restored the hanging gardens.

Hyksos

A group of people from western Asia who defeated the Egyptians by overwhelming them with more advanced technologies, and ruled most of Egypt for nearly 100 years, influenced military skills and tools of Egyptians.

After the Akkadian empire, the next great empire in Mesopotamia was called the A. Babylonian empire. C. New Kingdom. B. Assyrian empire. D. Persian empire.

A. Babylonian empire.

What helped the Kushites establish a successful trading empire? A. Their land had good supplies of iron ore, which they made into tools and weapons for sale abroad. B. They knew how to talk buyers into paying the highest prices. C. They specialized in luxury goods, which drew people from far and wide, even though Kush was out of the way. D.The Kushites were renowned seamen who took their ships to distant ports to acquire goods.

A. Their land had good supplies of iron ore, which they made into tools and weapons for sale abroad.

What was one important advantage the Hyksos had over the Egyptians in battle? A. They rode in horse-drawn war chariots. B. They were more aggressive and warlike. C. They carried wooden shields to protect themselves from blades and arrows. D.They used stealthier battle tactics.

A. They rode in horse-drawn war chariots.

The Assyrian communication system was so efficient that a governor could send a message anywhere within the empire and receive a response within A. a week. C. a month. B.three days. D.two weeks.

A. a week.

Sargon's power came primarily from A. his military strength. B. his skill for diplomacy. C. his self-designated status as a god. D.his reputation for being cruel and bloodthirsty.

A. his military strength.

Having been conquered by the Hyksos was not all bad for the Egyptians because the Hyksos taught the Egyptians A. how to make bronze weapons and showed them the advantages of horse-drawn war chariots. B. how to farm the fertile land in the area. C. how to build roads to connect the parts of the kingdom. D.how to cut large blocks of stone, a skill they would use to build the pyramids

A. how to make bronze weapons and showed them the advantages of horse-drawn war chariots.

In the Persian empire, a system of well-maintained road connected the various provinces, also known as A. satrapies. C. staging posts. B.way stations. D.city-states.

A. satrapies.

The word Zoroastrianism comes from A. the name of the prophet whose teachings are recorded in the sacred book of the religion. B. the name of the Persians' supreme god and creator. C. the name of the city where the religion first arose. D.the name of the emperor who was in power when the religion arose.

A. the name of the prophet whose teachings are recorded in the sacred book of the religion.

One example of the Assyrians' efficiency and effectiveness as administrators was A. their system of carrying messages quickly, which involved a network of staging posts and relays of horses. B. the speed with which they decided whether to execute prisoners of war C. their tendency to destroy features such as dams and cut down their enemies' fruit trees. D.their willingness to allow different cultures to coexist peacefully in their empire.

A. their system of carrying messages quickly, which involved a network of staging posts and relays of horses.

Ashurbanipal

An Assyrian king who told people to bring back writings and collected about 20,000 clay tablets from the fertile crescent.

Hatshepsut

An Egyptian queen who was at first the regent for her stepson Thutmosis ||| but later assumed the throne herself. In order to establish authority as a pharaoh, she was addressed as "His Majesty" and was depicted with a beard and dressed like a man in some paintings.

Which pharaoh was ruling when the New Kingdom reached the height of its power? A. Ahmose I C. Thutmosis I B.Amenhotep III D.Hatshepsut

B. Amenhotep III

The king of the Chaldeans who rebuilt Babylon was A. Cyrus. C. Darius. B.Nebuchadnezzar II. D.Ahuramazda.

B. Nebuchadnezzar II.

Invasions by the ___ in the 1200s B. C. marked the beginning of the end of the New Kingdom. A. Hittites C. Hyksos B.Sea Peoples D.Persians

B. Sea Peoples

According to the Code of Hammurabi, how should a son be punished if he hits his father? A. His father should hit him back. B. The son's hand should be cut off. C. The son should be sent into exile. D.The son should perform community service.

B. The son's hand should be cut off.

The Code of Hammurabi paints a portrait of a society in which A. people can do pretty much whatever they want to. B. almost anything that can go wrong is addressed by one law or another. C. it is easy to avoid being robbed because one can recognize thieves by their missing hands D.the citizens live in fear of being punished.

B. almost anything that can go wrong is addressed by one law or another.

The term for a large political unit or state, usually under a single leader, controlling many peoples or territories is A. a city-state. C. the Code of Hammurabi. B.an empire. D.a satrapy.

B. an empire.

Hammurabi is now most remembered for A. leading his well-trained army into battle. B. developing the set of laws known as the Code of Hammurabi. C. being "the sun of Babylon, the king who made the four quarters of the world obedient." D.the beautiful temples and palaces he had built in Babylon.

B. developing the set of laws known as the Code of Hammurabi.

In addition to iron goods, the major exports of Kush were A. small carvings made of stone. B. gold, ivory, ebony, and slaves. C. jewelry, silver lamps, and other luxury goods. D.dried fruits and spices.

B. gold, ivory, ebony, and slaves.

To help control his large empire, the Akkadian emperor Sargon A. traveled constantly, visiting every part of his empire several times a year. B. made the former rulers of the city-states he conquered into governors. C. executed the rulers of the city-states he conquered in order to intimidate his new subjects. D.made the soldiers who had proved bravest in battle the governors of the city-states he conquered.

B. made the former rulers of the city-states he conquered into governors.

When the emperor Darius conquered Thrace, A. the Greeks immediately surrendered and became part of the empire too. B. the Persian empire became the largest the world had yet known. C. he put all the members of the ruling family of Thrace to death. D.he built a luxurious palace and lived there in splendor.

B. the Persian empire became the largest the world had yet known.

Before the independent state of Kush was established around 1000 B.C., the area was called A. Africa. C. Nubia B.Meroë. D.Canaan

C. Nubia

At its height, the Akkadian empire included A. lands as far east as India. B. all of the lands between the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea. C. all of Mesopotamia and lands westward to the Mediterranean. D.all the Sumerian city-states and the territory south into Babylon.

C. all of Mesopotamia and lands westward to the Mediterranean.

The pharaoh Hatshepsut first gained power by A. inheriting the throne when her husband died. B. assassinating the previous ruler and declaring herself pharaoh. C. serving as regent for her stepson, Thutmosis III. D.proving that the gods had chosen her to rule.

C. serving as regent for her stepson, Thutmosis III.

What was the most famous feature of the city of Babylon after Nebuchadnezzar II made it the center of his empire/ A. the library C. the Hanging Gardens B.a 70-foot-tall statue of the emperor D.Nebuchadnezzar's palace

C. the Hanging Gardens

Darius

Cambyses' successor; a noble of the ruling dynasty; brought peace and stability to the empire. Divided empire, issued standardized metal coins to expand trade which strengthened the empire.

The pharaoh Akhenaten believed that A. practicing the right religion was key to defeating the Egyptian's challengers, the Hittites. B. the god Aten would defeat all the old gods, thus proving his superiority C. Egyptians should tolerate many gods. D.Egyptians should worship only one god, Aten.

D. Egyptians should worship only one god, Aten.

How was the Persian emperor Cyrus different from the Assyrian emperors? A. He was even more ruthless than the Assyrians. B. He did not care whether his empire ran efficiently. C. He was known to be cruel when he got angry. D.He had a reputation for being merciful and respectful to other civilizations.

D. He had a reputation for being merciful and respectful to other civilizations.

During the New Kingdom, the Egyptian Empire reached its peak. What was one way it showed its power? A. The pharaohs sent messengers out to proclaim their achievements throughout the empire. B. Egyptian armies made a point of looting and destroying their enemies' homes and villages. C. The pharaohs built a vast library to celebrate their wisdom and intellectual achievements. D.The pharaohs constructed huge, magnificent temples and statues in their own honor.

D. The pharaohs constructed huge, magnificent temples and statues in their own honor.

The prophet Zoroaster taught that A. the sun god Aten was the supreme god. B. the spirits of Ahuramazda and Ahriman were allies. C. all people would attain paradise at the Last Judgment. D.humans had free choice.

D. humans had free choice.

A society in which men hold the greatest control in both private and political spheres is known as a A. matriarchy. C. dynasty. B.monarchy. D.patriarchy.

D. patriarchy.

At the height of their prosperity, the Kushites buried their kings in A. lavish temples. C. boats sent up the Nile River. B.cemeteries. D.pyramids.

D. pyramids.

The Middle Kingdom ended when A. the boy pharaoh Tutankhamen died. B. the Egyptians learned to use bronze to make tools. C. Pharaoh Ahmose I expelled the Hyksos from Egypt. D.the Hyksos invaded Egypt.

D. the Hyksos invaded Egypt.

When an Assyrian army approached an enemy city, it would most likely A. try to use guerrilla warfare against the citizens. B. charge the city gates using horse-drawn chariots and iron spears. C. send a delegation of men into the city to try to negotiate a peaceful surrender. D.use battering rams and siege towers to destroy the walls surrounding the city.

D. use battering rams and siege towers to destroy the walls surrounding the city.

Hammurabi established a capital for his empire at A. Akkad. C. Nineveh. B.Axum. D.Babylon.

D.Babylon.

Cyrus was called "the Great" because he A. showed no mercy to enemies. C. was a large man. B.had no respect for other cultures. D.showed wisdom and compassion.

D.showed wisdom and compassion.

Cyrus

Persia's King. Military genius; Honored local customs and religions.

Amenhotep III

The New Kingdom reached its height under his rule,and he constructed many beautiful buildings and temples. Near the end of his reign, he faced a growing threat from the Hittites.

Ahriman

The god of evil and darkness in Persian mythology and in Zoroastrianism, a religion that attracted a large following in Persia around 600 B . C .

Chaldeans

The new Babylonians, their king was king Nebuchadnezzar, they burned Nineveh and were a combined army with the Medes.

Zend Avesta

collection of religious texts of Zoroastrianism, composed in Avestan language.

Monarchy

government by a sovereign ruler such as a king or queen.

Akkadian Empire

north of the sumerian city-states they spoke a semitic language

Zoroastrianism

one of the world's oldest continuously practiced religions based on the teachings of the Iranian-speaking prophet Zoroaster.

Ahuramazda

the highest spirit worshipped in Zoroastrianism.