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GREECE AND PERSIA GCSE (OCR) > Cambyses II, Smerdis and the Accession of Darius > Flashcards

Cambyses II, Smerdis and the Accession of Darius Flashcards

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1
Q

What personality do the ancient historians give Cambyses?

A

Cruel tyrant

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2
Q

Where does Herodotus get his sources (probably)

A

Biased Egyptian sources

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3
Q

think closing time

When did Cambyses II become king?

A

August 530

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4
Q

What does Herodotus think of the three reasons he gives for the invasion of Egypt

A

The first is a ‘pretext’ and the others he dismisses out of hand

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5
Q

What is Herodotus’ first reason for the invasion of Egypt?

A

An Egyptian doctor advised Cambyses to marry Amasis’ daughter, as he knew it would create trouble.
Amasis sent Nitetis, daughter of a former king he had deposed, pretending she was his daughter.
Nitetis revealed the trick, and Cambyses decided to invade

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6
Q

Amasis

A

King of Egypt
Ally of Lydia
Father of Psammetheticus III

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7
Q

Why did Cambyses most likely invade Egypt?

A

Protect (Egypt was very interested in the Levant) and increase the empire. An invasion was probably thought of by Cyrus.
Amasis was also an ally of the Lydians during the war with Lydia.

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8
Q

Which two peoples allegedly voluntarily submitted to Persian rule, thus bringing a powerful navy to the empire

A

Phoenicia and Cyprus

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9
Q

What was the other naval power in the 530s?

A

Samos

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10
Q

King of Samos

A

Polycrates

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11
Q

Why might Samos have switched sides, joining Persia.

A

Amasis died, and Polycrates probably saw that Persia was going to win a war with Egypt

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12
Q

Who succeeded Amasis?

A

His son Psammetheticus III

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13
Q

What does this quote suggest the Persians thought of Cambyses?
“They had answered that he was better than his father, because he had kept all Cyrus’ possessions and acquired Egypt and command of the sea into the bargain”

A

He was seen as both conquerer of Egypt and someone who had created the Persian navy

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14
Q

Who acted as a guide to the Persians on the campaign in Egypt?

A

Phanes, a Greek mercenary and former advisor of Amasis

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15
Q

Where did the Persians first fight the Egyptians. Who won?

A

Pelusium, a port on the Nile delta. The Persians won

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16
Q

Which city did the Persians besiege in Egypt?

A

Memphis

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17
Q

What did Cambyses do once Egypt had been defeated?

A

Set up mercenaries to defend it

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18
Q

Outcome of the siege of Memphis

A

Egypt surrenders

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19
Q

Which three peoples to the west of Egypt surrendered to Persia after Egypt was conquered?

A

Libya Barca and Cyrene

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20
Q

Which three peoples did Cambyses try to conquer after Egypt?

A

Carthaginians, Ammonians, Ethiopians

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21
Q

What happened with the 3 invasions Cambyses made after Egypt

A

Carthage: Phoenicians refused to invade as Carthage was a Phoenician colony
Ammonia: 50,000 went to attack the oasis at Ammon, but were killed in a sandstorm
Ethiopia: Not enough supplies, lead by Cambyses, and in the end had to return due to resorting to canabalism

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22
Q

What was the first sign of Cambyses not being right in the head (Herodotus)

A

He disrespected the corpse of Amasis

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23
Q

what did (the mad) Cambyses think the celebration of the Apis Bull was really celebrating?

A

Celebrating his loss in Ethiopia

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24
Q

What did Cambyses do with the Apis Bull?

A

Fatally stabbed it in the thigh. He then laughed at it for having flesh and blood while being a god

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25
Q

What else did Cambyses do in his madness?

A

Organised the murder of his brother
(Smerdis/Bardiya)
Killed his sister-wife (had adopted Egyptian custom)
Jeered at sacred statues
Broke into tombs and examined the bodies

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26
Q

What is our main source on the demise of Cambyses?

A

Herodotus

27
Q

What were the Magi?

A

Persian priests (possibly Median originally)
They interpreted dreams and omens, performed rituals, and acted as advisors. They also were responisbile for training the young Persian princes and guarding royal tombs.

28
Q

Who were the two Magi brothers that Herodotus claims rebelled against Cambyses?

A

Patizeithes and Smerdis

29
Q

What did the Magi rebels do?

A

Smerdis pretended to be the brother of Cambyses (Smerdis) and they sent out a proclamation to all troops declaring that they should follow Smerdis and not Cambyses.

30
Q

Where was Cambyses when he heard of the rebellion. Why was it fatal?

A

Ectabana, an Syrian town. It was foretold he would die in Ectabana

31
Q

How did Cambyses die?

A

The cap fell of his sheath, and his sword stabbed him in the thigh, just where he had struck the Apis Bull.
He died later of gangrene

32
Q

What was Cambyses’ response to the rebellion?

A

He realised it was the magi, and prepared to march out. However, he wounded himself, and as he died, he told his nobles the truth of Smerdis’ murder and commanded them to remove Smerdis.

33
Q

When did Cambyses die?

A

522

34
Q

What have archaeologists found that contradicts Herodotus’ tale of the Apis Bull.

A

A temple in Memphis, the Serapeum (temple of Serapis), where the dead Apis Bulls were placed in tombs.
An Apis Bull has been dated to November 524, when Cambyses was king. The inscriptin says all the ceremonies were done correctly.

35
Q

What does Udjahorrense’s statue say about Cambyses?

A

refers to him as ‘King of Upper and Lower Egypt’, like a proper Pharaoh, and when Udjahorrense complained to Cambyses about Persian soldiers in Neith’s temple, Cambyses had them removed, purified the temple, and paid respects to the goddess.

36
Q

Udjahorresne

A

Egyptian courtier who defected to the Persians and advised Cambyses, and later Darius. He left an account of his achievements on a statue of himself

37
Q

From what anger may the biased Greek sources on Cambyses orginate?

A

Cambyses removed the tax exemption from the temples, no doubt upsetting upsetting many educated and inluential Egyptians.

38
Q

Two main sources that contradic Herodotus’ Cambyses

A

Udjahorresne and the Serapeum

39
Q

Darius’ account of his accession source

A

Bisitun Inscription, set on a busy road, 100 metres above the ground
Four parts: giant carving, and three texts, each in a different language.

40
Q

Languages on the Bisitun Inscription

A

Old Persian, Babylonian, Elamite

41
Q

People on the Bisitun Inscription statues

A

Darius, Gobyras (lance carrier), Intaphernes (bow carrier), the nine leaders of conquered peoples who challenged his rule when he came to power (their necks are tied) he stands on Gaumata, the Magus who pretended to be Bardiya. Above them is the god Ahuramazda

42
Q

The seven conspirators that killed the false Smerdis

A

Intaphernes, Gobyras, Megabyzus, Aspathines, Hydarnes, Darius (the last), and Otanes (the founder)

43
Q

What did Otanes find suspicious about Smerdis?

A

Smerdis never left the palace, nor did he meet with senior advisors, and the women of the court never saw each other.

44
Q

What did Phaidymie, daughter of Otanes, find out about Smerdis

A

That he had no ears, like the Smerdis that had been punished by Cyrus years before.

45
Q

Prexaspes

A

Cambyses’ most trusted advisor.
Killer of the real Smerdis
Asked by false Smerdis to declare from a tower that false Smerdis was real.
Told the truth, threw himself from the tower.

46
Q

How did the conspirators go about killing Smerids?

A

After Prexaspes had killed himself, the conspirators thought to call it off, but Darius, guided by an omen, encouraged them on. They made for the palace, killed the Magi, and showed their heads to the people

47
Q

What does Darius call the false king?

A

Gaumata

48
Q

What does Darius call the real brother of Cambyses

A

Bardiya

49
Q

What events does Darius give for the ascension of Gautama

A

Cambyses had his brother killed, then headed to Egypt, the people became restless, 11th March, Gaumata, a Magus pretending to be Bardiya, led a rebellion. Established himself as king on 1st July, and Cambyses died naturally soon after.

50
Q

Date Gautama became king

A

1st July

51
Q

Date of Gaumata’s death

A

29th September

52
Q

Who is the conspirator that Darius does not mention?

A

Aspathines

53
Q

How did Herodotus probably get his sources for the succession of Darius?

A

Copies of the Bisitun Inscription were set up around the empire, and were translated into the local languages. Disagreements between the accounts might arrise from translation mixups.

54
Q

What does Aesychylus call the second king after Cyrus? What does his play not mention about him in Persians?

A

Mardus, he is not called an imposter

55
Q

What does Darius not date, despite dating everything else

A

Cambyses’ death

56
Q

When do Babylonian tablets date reign of Bardiya from

A

April 522

57
Q

What is more likely the truth behind the death of Smerdis/Bardiya/Mardus

A

Darius and his conspirators killed the real king.

58
Q

How did Herodotus claim Darius became king?

A

5 days after killing the king, the conspirators met to decide what to do next. Decided to ride their hroses out of the city before dawn, and the rider of the first horse to neigh after the sun rose would become king. Darius achieved this through trickery. This reflects the need for good horsemanship to be a respected Persian noble.

59
Q

Nitetis

A

Daughter of a king Amasis had deposed

60
Q

Ptah

A

Important creator god in Egypt
Associated with Memphis

61
Q

Memphis

A

Royal capital of Egypt

62
Q

Patizeithes

A

one of the Magi brothers who took over Persia
Left in charge of the royal household by Cambyses

63
Q

Aeschylus

A

Athenian playright
Wrote the play Persians

GREECE AND PERSIA GCSE (OCR) (10 decks)

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