Chapter 7 World History
When did the Achaemenid empire peak?
When Darius ruled (521-486 BCE)
Did the Parthians drive Seleucus out of Iran?
Yes
What money reinforced economy in Persia?
Coined money from the Lydians
Who is Xerxes?
He is not so nice. He attempts to impose Persian stamp on satrapies (not as tolerant).
What religions were influenced by Zoroastrianism?
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
What did the Jews call Cyrus the Great?
"the anointed of the Lord"
Who is Ahura Mazda?
god
What did the Greeks call Cyrus the Great?
"Law-Giver"
How many districts were in Persia?
23 Administrative divisions (districts).
Classical Persia Empire ended in what year?
651 BCE
What century did the first Persian society start in and what was the name of the society?
6th century; Achaemenids
What is a satrapy?
A district
Who was Cyrus the Great?
A tolerant ruler, he allowed different cultures within his empire to keep their own institutions.
All Social People Speak What does this stand for?
Achaemenids (558-330 BCE) Seleucids (323-283 BCE) Parthians (247 BCE-224 CE) Sasanids (224-651 CE)
Who burns Persepolis to the ground?
Alexander the Great
Why did the Seleucid empire divide?
Alexander the Great died.
What did the Parthians feed their horses to make them strong and large?
Alfalfa
Benefit of a Qanat
Allowed the water to not evaporate.
Who were the Sasanids overwhelmed by?
Arabs
Who conquered Egypt in 525 BCE?
Cambyses II
Who founded the Achaemenid empire?
Cyrus the Great
Who freed the Jews?
Cyrus the Great
Who is the best ruler/ king of the Persian Empire?
Darius
Who built Persepolis?
Darius the Great
Who established a complex postal system?
Darius the Great
Who established a tax-collecting system?
Darius the Great
What ruler didn't trust his people?
Darius the Great created a network of spies called "the King's eyes and ears"
What territories did the Persians take over?
Egypt, Indus River Valley, Mesopotamia
Who defended their territory in the Persian War?
GREEKS
Who divided the Seleucid empire?
Generals divide empire. The best part of the empire goes to Seleucus.
Who is a satrip?
Governor of the satrapies.
Who was Darius the Great?
He built Persepolis, the Royal Road, and a canal in Egypt.
Who was Cambyses II?
He was the oldest son of Cyrus the Great.
Cambyses II couldn't conquer what empire?
Kush empire
Benefit of Royal Road
Long-distance trade
What were priests called in the Zoroastrianism?
Magi
How did the Persian empire come about?
Medes and Persians came together and made the Persian empire and followed Cyrus.
What is Zoroastrianism?
Old religion, oral teachings,
How were Zoroastrianism and Christianity, Judaism, and Islam similar?
Omnipotent God responsible for creation of all Dualism Good will prevail over evil Humans must strive for good, followed by judgment: reward or punishment
The Royal Road connected what two cities?
Pasargadae and Persepolis.
Who had a bigger army, Persia or Greece?
Persia had a bigger army and outnumbered Greece.
Who was Zarathustra?
Prophet (kind of like Jesus)
Who did the Sasanid Empire have conflicts with?
Rome, Byzantium in the west, Kush in the east
Who is Angra Mainu?
Satan/Devil
What is a Qanat?
System of underground canals.
Who invaded the Seleucid empire?
The Parthians
What was the outcome of the Persian and Greek wars?
The Persians were not able to over come the Greeks and the Greeks declared independence.
What was the Royal Road?
The Royal Road was approximately 1,600 miles and stretched all the way from the Aegean port of Ephesus to Sardis in Anatolia, it went through Mesopotamia, along the Tigris River, then to Susa in Iran, and had some "off-roads/extensions" to Pasargadae and Persepolis.
Why was there internal rebellion in the Parthian Empire?
There were feuding satraps.
How did the Sasanid Empire come about?
They claimed they were descendants of the Achaemenids.
What is the Gathas?
bible (put together by Zarathustra)
What weakened the Parthians?
ongoing wars with Romans
What type of army was the Parthian Empire?
strong cavalry (army that rides on horses)
What empire did Alexander the Great conquer?
the Achaemenid Empire (334-331 BCE) at the Battle of Gaugamela.