Background: Xerxes and Hellenic league

Question 1

In the third year after Marathon, in which country did Darius face a rebellion?

Answer 1

Egypt

Question 2

In Persian law what has to happen before an expedition can leave?

Answer 2

A successor must be chosen

Question 3

What was the argument that happened before the expedition?

Answer 3

Which of Darius’ sons should be proclaimed heir

obviously Xerxes won

Question 4

What stopped Darius from going to war with Greece and Egypt?

Answer 4

His death

Question 5

In what year did Darius die?

Answer 5

485BC

Question 6

What does fighting away from home help prevent?

Answer 6

Rebellions in the empire

Question 7

Who does Herodotus say is responsible for persuading Xerxes to invade Greece?

Answer 7

Mardonius, his cousin

Question 8

What does Herodotus claim Mardonius really wanted?

Answer 8

To be governer of Greece

Question 9

The ruling family of which Greek state offered assistance to Xerxes?

Answer 9

Thessaly

Question 10

Who were the Pisistratidae?

Answer 10

Former tyrants of Athens

Question 11

What/who was Onomacritus?

Answer 11

A collector of oracles

Question 12

How did the Pisistratidae use Onomacritus?

Answer 12

To give Xerxes prophecies that would persuade him to invade Greece (any negative prophecies were omitted)

Question 13

Over what did Xerxes build a bridge to get to Greece?

Answer 13

The Hellespont

Question 14

What was used to make the bridge Xerxes built?

Answer 14

Triremes and penteconters, held together with papyrus/flax rope and anchors

Question 15

Why were there small gaps in the bridge?

Answer 15

To let small boats through

Question 16

What did Xerxes supposedly do when his bridge was destroyed by a storm?

Answer 16

Have soldiers whip the water and throw fetters into it

Question 17

Why were there screen fences on the bridge?

Answer 17

To stop the animals crossing from being scared of the water

Question 18

What supposedly happened to the men who built the first bridge?

Answer 18

They were beheaded by Xerxes

Question 19

Why may Xerxes have thought building the Athos canal was necessary?

Answer 19

In 492 BC Mardonius lost 300 ships and 20,000 men to a storm when on an expedition in Greece

Question 20

Who brought the Spartans a peace proposal from Xerxes (which they did not accept) ?

Answer 20

Alexander of Macedon

Question 21

What did the term barbarian mean to the Greeks?

Answer 21

Foreigners, those who did not speak Greek

Question 22

What did the Greeks call themselves as a whole?

Answer 22

Hellenes

Question 23

Where was the meeting of the Hellenic leaugue?

Answer 23

The Isthmus of Corinth

chosen for its central location

Question 24

Who called the first meeting of the Hellenic leaugue?

Answer 24

The Athenians and the Spartans jointly

Question 25

Which state was recognised as the natural military leader at this point?

Answer 25

Sparta | although the Athenians had growing authority because of their recent victory at Marathon

Question 26

Which state took presidency of the meeting of the Hellenic leaugue?

Answer 26

The spartans

Question 27

How many states sent representatives to the meeting of the Hellenic leaugue?

Answer 27

31

Question 28

To which state was power over the Greek forces given?

Answer 28

Sparta

Question 29

Which two places (for land and sea) were chosen for the Greeks to fight at?

Answer 29

Thermopylae and Artemisium | they were close together making communication easier

Question 30

What oath did the states of the Hellenic leaugue take?

Answer 30

That when the Persians were gone, the states that had medised would be forced to give a tenth of their wealth to the god at Delphi