Darius Flashcards
What happened at the start of Darius’ reign?
19 revolts in 1st year of Darius’ reign, e.g. Babylon, Media, which he quelled brutally.
Who was Achaemenes?
Invented common ancestor between Darius and Cyrus;
Who was Ahuramazda?
Persian god prominent under Darius; defender of truth, enemy of lies.
What is the Bisitun Inscription? What does it depict?
- Text describes Darius’ subduing revolts
- Sculpture shows Darius stepping on ‘false’ Smardis (Gaumata), with other rebel kings in chains
- a winged Ahuramazda watches from above.
What was a satrap? What was the Royal Road?
- Ruler of 1 of 20 satrapies (provinces) of Persian empire; collected Tax
- Royal Road: straight road from Sardis to Susa, used by messenger service
- Darius’ canal: between Nile and Red Sea.
Identify and describe the following features of Persepolis: double staircase, Gate of All Nations, Hall of 100 Columns, apadana
- Double staircase; Gate of All Nations: two human-headed winged bull sculptures
- Hall of 100 Columns: includes sculpture of king, held up by subject peoples
- Apadana: on stairs, all 23 satrapies bring gifts for the king; inside relief sculpture of visitor bowing and kissing hand to the king;
Identify and describe the following features of Susa: statue of Darius, glazed brick
- Statue of Darius made in Egypt
- Glazed brick sculpture of the Immortals
- Apadana: 72 massive columns with bull sculptures at the top, calcite jars with Xerxes’ name in many languages found inside.
Who persuaded Darius to invade Scythia?
- Atossa: Darius’ wife persuaded him to invade Scythia
- Persuaded by her Greek doctor, Demodocus, who wants to go back to Greece
How did the Scythians defeat the Persians?
Nomadic Scythians retreat and never fight; Darius runs out of supplies and returns.
Where did Darius build a bridge? Who guarded it? What did Miltiades and Histiaeus argue for?
- Bridges built over the Bosporus and Danube; Ionian tyrants guard the Danube bridge; Scythians ask them to destroy the bridge so they can kill the king; Miltiades debates for, Histiaeus against.
How does Darius represent the Scythian conquest on the Bisitun Inscription?
Darius includes Scythia with other nations he has conquered,
including India & Thrace.
What caused the Ionian Revolt?
- Ionians want democracy, not Persian-sponsored tyranny
- Trade disrupted by Scythian campaign
- Aristagoras incited revolt after failed takeover of Naxos, to avoid ramifications from Persia
- Histiaeus wanted to go back to Ionia, so advised Aristagoras to
start revolt
How did Athens and Plataea help?
Send ships after Aristagoras’ request; Athenians burn down Sardis, including temple.
How did the Persians defeat the Ionians?
Cyprus and Caria join the revolt, but Ionians argue amongst themselves and are defeated at a sea-battle
What happened to the Ionians in the end?
- Sardis burned and some citizens enslaved/taken to be eunuchs
- Displaced a few thousand to centre of empire
- Artaphernes (satrap) eventually gives the Ionians democracy.
