Traditions & Encounters A Global Perspective on the Past 5th Edition by Jerry Bentley – Test Bank

Traditions & Encounters A Global Perspective on the Past 5th Edition by Jerry Bentley – Test Bank

Chapter 7

The Empires of Persia

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. The major early turning point in the rise of the Persian empire was the
2. victory of Darius at Salamis.
3. victory of Cyrus over Lydia.
4. victory in the Persian Wars.
5. defeat of the Sasanid empire.
6. victory of Cambyses over Rome.

Answer: b

Page: 131

2. The leader of the Lydians who fell to Cyrus was
3. Cambyses.
4. Miltiades.
5. Astyages.
6. Croesus.
7. Darius.

Answer: d

Page: 131

3. In organizing their empire, Persian rulers relied heavily on techniques of administration from the
4. Lydians.
5. Egyptians.
6. Romans.
7. Chinese.
8. Mesopotamians.

Answer: e

Page: 132

4. Which of the following lists of Persian empires is correct, chronologically?
5. Achaemenids, Sasanids, Seleucids, Parthians
6. Parthians, Achaemenids, Seleucids, Sasanids
7. Sasanids, Parthians, Seleucids, Achaemenids
8. Achaemenids, Seleucids, Parthians, Sasanids
9. Sasanids, Seleucids, Parthians, Achaemenids

Answer: d

Page: 132

5. The Medes and Persians were originally
6. Indo-European tribes.
7. Semitic-speaking nomads related to the Hyksos.
8. later Mesopotamian petty kingdoms.
9. Dravidian tribes who had fled before the arrival of the Aryans in India.
10. minor Babylonian rulers.

Answer: a

Page: 132

6. The founder of the Achaemenid empire was
7. Xerxes.
8. Cambyses.
9. Cyrus.
10. Darius.
11. Alexander.

Answer: c

Page: 133

7. In 525 B.C.E. the Persian emperor Cambyses captured
8. Lydia.
9. Egypt.
10. northern India.
11. Media.
12. Greece.

Answer: b

Page: 133

8. The greatest of the Achaemenid emperors was
9. Darius.
10. Cyrus.
11. Xerxes.
12. Cambyses.
13. Miltiades.

Answer: a

Page: 134

9. Pasargadae was
10. the last great Persian emperor.
11. a nomadic tribe from the north that provided a constant threat to Persian survival.
12. the location of the greatest Persian military defeat.
13. the capital of the Persian empire before Persepolis.
14. the most important Persian religious prophet.

Answer: d

Page: 134

10. The population of the Achaemenid empire under Darius was
11. one million.
12. three million.
13. six million.
14. eleven million.
15. thirty-five million.

Answer: e

Page: 134

11. The magnificent capital of the Persian empire constructed by Darius was
12. Byzantium.
13. Pasargadae.
14. Marathon.
15. Susa.
16. Persepolis.

Answer: e

Page: 134

12. Satrapies were
13. Mesopotamian kings.
14. Egyptian administrators.
15. Persian administrative units.
16. demons of the Lydian underworld.
17. Arabian merchants.

Answer: c

Page: 134

13. The Persian “eyes and ears of the king”
14. was Ahura Mazda.
15. were satraps.
16. was a popular expression that related to the divinity of the king.
17. were spies.
18. were the cavalry.

Answer: d

Page: 134

14. Darius picked up the idea of a standardized government-issued coinage from the
15. Babylonians.
16. Egyptians.
17. Lydians.
18. Indians.
19. Chinese.

Answer: c

Page: 134

15. Which of the following empires normally displayed the greatest degree of toleration toward its subject peoples?
16. Assyrian
17. Greek
18. Egyptian
19. Achaemenid
20. Olmec

Answer: d

Page: 135-136

16. The Persian king who regularized tax levies and standardized laws was
17. Cyrus.
18. Cambyses.
19. Darius.
20. Xerxes.
21. Alexander.

Answer: c

Page: 134-135

17. The Persian legal code was designed to
18. codify the laws of the subject peoples.
19. abolish the laws of individual lands.
20. impose a uniform law code on the entire empire.
21. terrify the subject tribes of the empire into submission.
22. enslave the conquered tribes.

Answer: a

Page: 135

18. The center of the Persian communications network was the
19. Royal Road.
20. qanat.
21. Emperor’s Trail.
22. use of Assyrian mercenary spies.
23. Persian navy.

Answer: a

Page: 135

19. Who used the words, “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds,” to describe the Persian courier service?
20. Cyrus
21. Xerxes
22. Darius
23. Herodotus
24. Homer

Answer: d

Page: 135

20. The qanat were
21. Persian underground canals.
22. Persian oral historians.
23. the religious texts of the Zoroastrians.
24. the priestly class of the Persians.
25. the parables of Zarathustra.

Answer: a

Page: 135

21. For his decision to allow them to return to their capital city and rebuild their temple, Darius received high praise from these people. Who were they?
22. Assyrians
23. Egyptians
24. Medes
25. Jews
26. Dravidians

Answer: d

Page: 136

22. The king who failed to follow the normal Persian governing policy of toleration was
23. Darius.
24. Xerxes.
25. Cambyses.
26. Cyrus.
27. Hammurabi.

Answer: b

Page: 136

23. The battle of Marathon in 490 B.C.E. proved to be
24. a bloody stalemate with, neither side claiming victory.
25. an overwhelming Persian victory.
26. a Persian loss.
27. a slight victory that turned the tide in Persia’s favor in the Persian Wars.
28. a Roman victory.

Answer: c

Page: 136

24. The decisive victory of Alexander of Macedon over the Persians was called the battle of
25. Gaugamela.
26. Marathon.
27. Persepolis.
28. Issus.
29. Athens.

Answer: a

Page: 137

25. The Seleucid, Parthian, and Sasanid empires
26. created states on a far grander scale than the Achaemenid empire.
27. employed a form of imperial administration copied from the Achaemenids.
28. were fundamentally different from the Achaemenids in their political structure.
29. were early petty kingdoms that helped give rise to the later Achaemenid empire.
30. copied the Roman model.

Answer: b

Page: 137

26. The empire comprising most of the old Achaemenid state that was taken by a general of Alexander the Great was the
27. Parthian empire.
28. Alexandrian empire.
29. Sasanid empire.
30. Seleucid empire.
31. Aryan empire.

Answer: d

Page: 137

27. The Seleucids were finally defeated in 83 B.C.E. by the
28. Parthians.
29. Romans.
30. Achaemenids.
31. Sasanids.
32. Greeks.

Answer: b

Page: 137

28. Which Iranian state followed the Achaemenids and rivaled the Seleucids in greatness?
29. Parthian
30. Sasanid
31. Indo-European
32. Median
33. Carthaginian

Answer: a

Page: 137-138

29. The greatest Parthian ruler was
30. Cyrus.
31. Mithradates I.
32. Ctesiphon.
33. Shapur I.
34. Darius.

Answer: b

Page: 138

30. Ctesiphon was
31. the greatest Parthian ruler.
32. the capital of the Seleucid empire.
33. the prophet who transformed Persian religion.
34. the capital of the Parthian and Sasanid empires.
35. a Greek philosopher.

Answer: d

Page: 138

31. Shapur I was
32. the greatest Sasanid king.
33. the Persian king who lost the battle of Marathon to the Greeks.
34. the last powerful Parthian ruler.
35. the founder of the Achaemenid empire.
36. the founder of the Seleucid empire.

Answer: a

Page: 138

32. The Sasanids were defeated in 651 C.E. by
33. Byzantine imperial forces.
34. Roman forces.
35. Parthian armies.
36. Arab warriors.
37. the Greek navy.

Answer: d

Page: 138

33. The social structure of the Medes and Persians was originally very similar to the
34. Mesopotamians.
35. Greeks.
36. Aryans.
37. Romans.
38. Egyptians.

Answer: c

Page: 139

34. Gimillu was
35. the Persian general who lost the battle of Marathon to the Greeks.
36. the most important text created by Zarathustra.
37. a slave associated with the temple in Uruk.
38. the founder of the Sasanid empire.
39. the leading Persian prophet.

Answer: c

Page: 141

35. Zoroastrianism was
36. spread by force throughout the Persian empire.
37. very strongly monotheistic.
38. repudiated by the Sasanids.
39. allowed to spread through its own merits.
40. borrowed by the Persians from the Assyrians.

Answer: d

Page: 143

36. Zarathustra talked about the battle between the “wise lord” Ahura Mazda and the evil spirit
37. Avesta.
38. Angra Mainyu.
39. Ashur.
40. Ctesiphon.
41. Enlil.

Answer: b

Page: 143-144

37. The Gathas were
38. Persian underground canals.
39. the laws that made up the Persian legal code.
40. Persian administrative units.
41. Persian administrators.
42. Zarathustra’s compositions.

Answer: e

Page: 143

38. Which of the following basic tenets of Zoroastrianism did NOT influence later religions?
39. the belief in a heaven and hell
40. the encouragement of high moral standards
41. the view of the material world as a place of temptation that had to be ignored
42. the doctrine that individuals will undergo a final judgment
43. the belief that each individual plays a key role in determining his or her spiritual destiny

Answer: c

Page: 145

39. Zarathustra viewed the material world
40. as an illusion.
41. as a trick of Angra Mainyu to mislead the faithful.
42. as the equivalent of hell.
43. as a gift from Ahura Mazda that should be enjoyed.
44. as a resting place for the reincarnated.

Answer: d

Page: 143

40. The words “good words, good thoughts, good deeds” were used to sum up the view of morality of the
41. Jews.
42. Zoroastrians.
43. Hindus.
44. Buddhists.
45. Greeks.

Answer: b

Page: 143

TRUE/FALSE

41. The emperor of the Achaemenid empire at its greatest extent was Cyrus.

Answer: False

Page: 133

42. The greatest Parthian ruler was Mithradates I.

Answer: True

Page: 138

43. The Seleucid empire was founded by one of Alexander’s generals.

Answer: True

Page: 137

44. Shapur I was the greatest Sasanid ruler.

Answer: True

Page: 138

45. The Achaemenid empire was founded by Cyrus.

Answer: True

Page: 132-133

46. The religious prophet who brought about a transformation of Persian religion was Zarathustra.

Answer: True

Page: 142

47. The Persian loss to the Greeks in 490 B.C.E. was at Marathon.

Answer: True

Page: 136

48. The Sasanids claimed direct descent from the Achaemenids and that ruled from 224 to 651 C.E.

Answer: True

Page: 138

49. Cambyses was the Persian emperor who captured Egypt.

Answer: True

Page: 133

50. The Parthians were a powerful Iranian empire that extended into Mesopotamia.

Answer: True

Page: 137

ESSAY

51. In the Gathas, Zarathustra wrote, “In the beginning, there were two Primal Spirits, Twins spontaneously active.” Who were these “Twins”? Could it be argued that Zoroastrianism was not monotheistic at all? If Zoroastrianism is not monotheistic, might Christianity not be monotheistic?

52. Compare and contrast the Achaemenids and the Greeks. What were the strengths and weaknesses of both societies? Why have the Persians received such little attention in history books?

53. Discuss the basic tenets of Zoroastrianism. What role did Zarathustra play in the rise of this religion? How influential was Zoroastrianism on later religions?

54. Compare the ruling techniques of the Persians, especially those of Cyrus and Darius, to other societies you have studied so far.

55. Examine the role of trade and agriculture in explaining the success of the Persian empires. Why was the Royal Road so important?

56. Examine the relationship between the various Persian dynasties and the Zoroastrian religion. What does the spread of this religion say about the Persian philosophy of rule?

57. The Persians copied many of their ruling techniques from the Assyrians, but had much greater success. In what ways were the Persians different from the Assyrians? What might explain the greater success of the Persians?

58. The Achaemenid empire began to decline under Xerxes. Was his approach any different than that of his predecessors, such as Cyrus or Darius?

59. The victory of Alexander of Macedon at Gaugamela, in 331 B.C.E., helped to bring about an end to the Achaemenid empire. In what ways did the empire live on?

60. Examine the rise of the Achaemenid empire. What role did Cyrus play in this process? Discuss the nature of the Persian empire under Darius.

61. Discuss the implications of unification under the Achaemenids. How did the Persians rule such a huge, multicultural state? How did unification influence southwest Asia?

62. Examine the social structure of the various Persian empires from the Achaemenids through the Sasanids. What was the role of women during these empires?

63. Examine the development of the Seleucid, Parthian, and Sasanid empires. In what ways were they a continuation of the Achaemenid tradition? In what ways were they different?

64. The victories of the Greeks at Marathon and of Alexander of Macedon at Gaugamela are all too often seen as victories for the rise of civilization. In what ways might these Persian losses be considered losses for the rise of civilization?

65. In what ways, both political and religious, did the later Seleucid, Parthian, and Sasanid empires try to position themselves as the heirs of the Achaemenids? Why did they do this? How successful were they in this attempt?

66. Compare Zoroastrianism to any of the other religious concepts you’ve seen so far. How was Zarathustra’s philosophy different and in what ways was it influential?

67. Examine Map 7.1, The Achaemenid and Seleucid empires, 558-330 B.C.E. and 323-83 B.C.E. Compare the size of the Achaemenid empire to the size of earlier states, as well as to that of the later Seleucids, Parthians, and Sasanids. What would be the difficulties of ruling a state this large? How cosmopolitan was the Achaemenid empire? Explain the significance of the Royal Road.

68. Look at Map 7.2 The Parthian and Sasanid empires, 247 B.C.E.-651 C.E. Compare these empires to the earlier Achaemenid state. How did the Achaemenids influence the Parthian and Sasanid empires? What were the main contributions of the Achaemenids to history?

69. Look at the carving of Darius on page 136. How does it reflect the hierarchy of government and the power of the Achaemenid empire under Darius? Is the location of the carving significant?

70. Examine Cyrus’s tomb at Pasargadae on page 134 and of the ruins of Persepolis on page 135. Discuss the significance of Alexander of Macedon paying homage to the tomb of Cyrus but also, either intentionally or not, burning down Persepolis.

71. Look at the picture of the gold clasp with the symbol of Ahura Mazda on page 143. Based on Zarathustra’s religious views, why would Ahura Mazda be portrayed as a winged god?

72. Discuss the passage from Zarathustra (see Textbook: Sources from the Past: Zarathustra on Good and Evil). Examine the nature of Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu. In Persian thought, what is the relationship between human beings and the gods? Does this critical role of human beings indicate that Zoroastrianism was really a dualistic belief?

73. What can the passage from Zarathustra (see Textbook: Sources from the Past: Zarathustra on Good and Evil) tell us about the influence of Zoroastrianism on later religions? In what ways did Zoroastrianism influence Judaism, Christianity, and Islam?

74. How did Cyrus manage to expand the Persian holdings so dramatically during his lifetime?

75. Why does the text say that Darius was “more important as an administrator than as a conqueror”?

76. Describe the administrative structure of the Achaemenid empire.

77. In what ways did Darius, and his successors, promote communication and commerce throughout the empire?

78. In what ways did Alexander of Macedon both destroy and preserve elements of the Achaemenid empire?

79. How did the Parthians come to control the Persian empire?

80. What was the role of the imperial bureaucrats in Persian society? How did they fit in with the other social classes?

81. What agricultural technologies and techniques did the Persians use to produce the large surpluses they needed to feed their huge population of nonfood producers?

82. The Persian empires were noted for being part of a trade route critical to the economy of the classical world. What did the rulers do to facilitate trade? Why was Persia geographically so important?