Kevin’s Cards about The Persian Wars

Question 1

What had the Persians accomplished by 500 B.C

Answer 1

In 500 B.C, the mighty Persian Empire sprawled across an enormous expanse

Question 2

Who had the Persians captured by 500 B.C

Answer 2

The Persians had captured Mesopotamia, Egypt, and even parts of India

Question 3

Where did the Persians begin their conquest

Answer 3

The Persians began their conquest along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

Question 4

What did the Persians do after starting at the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers

Answer 4

They then pressed west, overwhelming Asia Minor and, for the first time, meeting the Greek city-states

Question 5

What are the conflicts between the Greek city-states and The Persians called

Answer 5

The Persian Wars

Question 6

What did the outcome of the Persian War determine

Answer 6

The outcome of the Persian Wars rested the fate of the Greek city-states — and the future of Athenian democracy

Question 7

True or False: The Persian Empire included most of Asia Minor, where Greek colonists had founded some cities, in 500 B.C

Answer 7

True

Question 8

Who was the ruler of the Persian Empire in 500 B.C

Answer 8

The ruler of the Persian Empire in 500 B.C was King Darius I, and he was so powerful that his people called him the “King of Kings”

Question 9

How was the army of King Darius I like

Answer 9

Darius’ army was massive and well-armed, and when trouble brewed in his realm, he dispatched armies to put down the unrest

Question 10

Who were the Persians enemy

Answer 10

The Greeks

Question 11

Why did the Greeks not like the Persians

Answer 11

The Greeks did not like the thought of being ruled by someone hundreds of miles away

Question 12

Why did Greek colonists in Asia Minor rebel against the Persians

Answer 12

They did not like the idea of being ruled by someone hundreds of mile away

Question 13

What did the Greek colonists in Asia Minor do

Answer 13

Greek Colonists in Asia Minor rebelled against Darius, and called upon the city states of mainland Greece for help

Question 14

How was the call for help by the Greek colonists in Asia Minor taken by the Greek city-states

Answer 14

The Spartans did not help the colonists, but the Athenians answered the call by sending ships and soldiers to assist the uprising

Question 15

What was the first event of the Persian Wars

Answer 15

The rebels, with Athenian help, made a bold attack on the Persians and burned Sardis , and important city in Asia Minor

Question 16

What was the second event in the Persian Wars

Answer 16

Due to the attack of Sardis, a surprised Darius asked who dared to help the rebels, and his men responded “The Athenians”

Question 17

What was the third event in the Persian Wars

Answer 17

The Persian army soon crushed the Athenian army in Asia Minor, yet the victory did not soothe Darius’ anger

Question 18

What was the fourth event of the Persian Wars

Answer 18

Darius never forgot what the Athenians did to help the colonists in Asia Minor, and to help to not forget, he had a servant constantly remind him of it every time he ate

Question 19

What was the fifth event of the Persian Wars

Answer 19

Darius keeps an eye on the Greeks, and prepares his army

Question 20

What was the sixth event of the Persian Wars

Answer 20

Darius sends messengers to Athens and Sparta to tell them there is no point resisting captivity by their king (Darius), and they should give them earth and water from their cities as a tribute. They said when this was done, they would take it back to Darius to show him that you (the Greeks) recognize him as your emperor, and he shall not attack

Question 21

What was the seventh event of the Persian Wars

Answer 21

The Athenians and Spartans throw the messengers down wells

Question 22

What was the eight event of the Persian Wars

Answer 22

Darius heated what had happened to the messengers, and became furious. In 490 B.C, he dispatched the Persian Army across the Aegean Sea. It landed on the Greek mainland just 24 miles north of Athens on a plain called Marathon

Question 23

What was the ninth event of the Persian Wars

Answer 23

Frightened by the Persians arrival, the Athenians sent a runner to Sparta to ask them to help them fight off the Persians, yet they declined, claiming they had to finish celebrating a religious festival

Question 24

How were the prospects looking for Athens, going into battle with the Persians (At Marathon)

Answer 24

The prospects of Athens seemed grim, for the Persians were trained soldiers while they were mostly farmers and shopkeepers

Question 25

What was the size comparison between the Athenian army and the Persian army

Answer 25

The Athenian army was half the size of the Persian’s

Question 26

How long did King Darius l rule Persia

Answer 26

King Darius l ruled Persia from 521 B.C to 486 B.C

Question 27

What did Darius l do to ensure everyone knew he was a great king

Answer 27

Darius l wanted to make sure everyone knew hew was a great king, so he tasked a small army of workers to carve a message proclaiming all his accomplishments onto a rock face in Persia, 300 ft off the ground

Question 28

What languages did the rock face, 300 ft above the ground, that King Darius ordered to be built have

Answer 28

The message was written in three languages: the Persian language, Babylonian cuneiform, and a forgotten language that was deciphered with the use of the previous two, Sumerian cuneiform.

Question 29

What did King Darius l’s rock face message lead historians and archeologists to

Answer 29

Darius led archeologists and historians to the earliest known civilization — Sumer

Question 30

How was the Athenians cavalry (Going into the Battle of Marathon)

Answer 30

Athenians had a weak cavalry, and no bows and arrows

Question 31

What three things did the Athenians have in their favor against the Persians at Marathon

Answer 31

The Athenians had three things in their favor: 1) they were free men fighting invaders — they had the fierce motivation of those determined to defend their land, homes, and families 2) they had a fine general, named Miltiades 3) they had a special Greek way of fighting the Persians had not encountered before. They marched into battle in the densely packed formation called the phalanx

Question 32

How did armies in a phalanx usually attack

Answer 32

The phalanx usually attacked usually attacked in a running trot, smashing into the lines of enemy soldiers

Question 33

What was the tenth event of the Persian Wars

Answer 33

The Athenians meet thePersians in Marathon, called the Battle of Marathon, in which they enter in a Greek formation called a phalanx

Question 34

What was the eleventh event of the Persian Wars

Answer 34

Looking over the plains of Marathon, Miltiades saw how he might win the battle. Most of his men had heavy shields and armor. The Persians, on the other hand, depended on their bows and arrows. If the Greeks could get through the storm of arrows raining down on them, they might have a chance

Question 35

What was the twelfth event of the Persian Wars

Answer 35

The Athenians charged towards the Persians without archers or horses, making the Persians believe they were madmen

Question 36

What was the thirteenth event of the Persian Wars

Answer 36

The Athenians kept close together and raised their shields to form a solid wall that saved them from the Persian arrows

Question 37

What was the fourteenth event of the Persian Wars

Answer 37

When the Athenians were at close range, they drew their swords, and threw themselves at the Persians

Question 38

Where did the Persians their strongest soldiers compared to the Greeks

Answer 38

The Persians had put their strongest soldiers in the center while Miltiades concentrated his strength on the ends of his lines

Question 39

What was the fifteenth event of the Persian Wars

Answer 39

Miltiades’ strongest soldiers quickly beat the weaker Persian soldiers, then rushed in to help the Greek troops in the center. The Persians were surrounded. They could not even retreat safely. Miltiades’ plan won the battle

Question 40

According to Heredotus, In The Battle of Marathon, how many Greek and Persian soldiers died

Answer 40

According to Herodotus, 6,400 Persians died while the Greeks lost 192 men in the Battle of Marathon

Question 41

After the Battle of Marathon, how did the Athenian army inform the other Athenians of the great victory (the one still at Athens)

Answer 41

To inform the Athenians of the great victory, the Greeks sent one of their soldiers, a strong runner, named Pheidippides whose name meant “spare the horse”

Question 42

According to legend, what did Pheidippides do

Answer 42

According to legend, Pheidippides ran Mose than two dozen miles from Marathon to Athens without stopping, over hills, rocks and ditches. When he reached the city, he gasped, “Victory is ours!” and then dropped dead from exhaustion

Question 43

After the Battle of Marathon, what “treasure” did the Athenians find

Answer 43

After the Battle of Marathon, the Greeks discovered buried treasure: They discovered mines of rich silver ore near Athens, and when the ore was mined, Athens would have great wealth. However the Athenians did not know what to do with the treasure

Question 44

What did Athenians say to do with the “treasure” (the silver ore from the mine)

Answer 44

Some Athenians thought the wealth should be divided amongst citizens, other citizens thought the riches should be used for building, but then Themistocles, a general who fought at the Battle of Marathon, proposed a different idea

Question 45

What did Themistocles believe the the “treasure” (the silver ore from the mine) should be spent on

Answer 45

Themistocles thought Athens might not yet be safe, and the wealth should be spent on ships

Question 46

What did Themistocles insist the Athenians to build with the “treasure” (the silver ore from the mine)

Answer 46

As a port city and center of trade, Athens already had many merchant ships, yet Themistocles insisted that Athens needed a fleet of warships, in case the Persians launched another invasion, and the Athenians agreed

Question 47

What did the Athenians use their new wealth (from the silver ore) to build

Answer 47

The Athenians used their new wealth to build 200 swift and slender wooden ships

Question 48

What did the Athenians do when they wanted to know what laid in store

Answer 48

When Athenians wanted to know what lay in store, such as if they will ever use the warships, they trekked high in the mountains to a place called Delphi

Question 49

What was at Delphi

Answer 49

At Delphi, there stood a shrine to the god Apollo. The Greeks believed that Apollo spoke through a priestess called an oracle. This priestess was famous throughout Greece, for her prophecies always seemed to come true

Question 50

What did the Athenians do to make sure they beat the Persians

Answer 50

The Athenians sent representatives to consult the oracle at Delphi, to ask about the Persians

Question 51

What was the oracles first response to the Athenians when they first came

Answer 51

The oracle, according to Herodotus answered: “Why do you sit here doomed ones? Fly to the ends of the world! Leave your homes and the heights of your city. The head shall not remain in its place — nor the body, nor the feet beneath. All is ruined! Death is speeding in a chariot. Fire and the god of war will bring you low. The temples reel and tremble. Blood runs from from their roofs. It streams in prophecies of woe. Go, flee from the sanctuary. Bow your hearts to grief!”

Question 52

After hearing the first prophecy, what did the Athenians believe

Answer 52

The Athenians, after hearing the prophecy, believed the Persians would destroy them, for the prophecy was never wrong, so the Athenians prayed for mercy from the gods

Question 53

What did the Athenians do after praying to the gods for mercy after hearing the first prophecy

Answer 53

After praying, the Athenians returned to Delphi and begged for another answer. This time, the priestess delivered a confusing prophecy: “All shall be taken — even the gold of the holy mountain. But the all-seeing Zeus grants your prayers. The wooden wall alone shall not fall. It will shelter you and your children. But do not wait for the men on foot and horse from Asia. Turn your backs. Flee from the foe. A day will come when you will meet him. Divine Salamis will bring death to many women’s sons!”

Question 54

What did Themistocles understand about the prophecy

Answer 54

Themistocles figured out the prophecy, and said “the wooden wall” meant the warships, the “Do not wait for the men ion foot and horse” meant that the Athenians should not fight them on land, but on sea, the meeting place would be near Salamis, and island close to Athens, and to prepare, Themistocles ordered more ships to be built

Question 55

After the second prophecy, Athens built the largest what in Ancient Greece

Answer 55

Army

Question 56

What were most Athenian ships called

Answer 56

Most Athenian ships were called triremes, that had masts and sails, but it’s power came from its rowers

Question 57

The rowers of triremes sat in groups of what

Answer 57

Three

Question 58

Why was rowing triremes dangerous

Answer 58

Rowing was dangerous because triremes sank other ships by ramming into them

Question 59

What did Athenian triremes consist of

Answer 59

Greeks built triremes with long, metal-tipped spikes that jutted from the bow, just below the water line

Question 60

What could the spikes of Athenians triremes do

Answer 60

These spikes, at ramming speeds, could rip a hole in another ship

Question 61

What did enemy ships do to triremes, and what danger did it oppose

Answer 61

Enemy ships also tried to ram triremes, which also put rowers in danger

Question 62

How were the Athenian rowers equipped

Answer 62

The Athenian rowers were unarmed, and usually were the first men killed in naval battle

Question 63

Rowing a trireme was not only dangerous, but also ___

Answer 63

Tiring

Question 64

What were the rowers trained to do

Answer 64

The well trained rowers had to work in perfect rhythm. That took strong discipline. They had to be able to follow orders quickly, for if they lost even a few seconds, disaster could follow

Question 65

How did Persian and Athenian rowers compare

Answer 65

The Persians used slaves to row their ships, but the Athenian rowers were free, usually poor, men

Question 66

How did Athenian soldiers and rowers compare in equipment

Answer 66

Athenian foot soldiers had to have enough money to buy armor, but an Athenian rower did not need to buy anything. All he needed was a strong back and strong arms, so even a pore man could help defend Athens by rowing

Question 67

What impact did the growth of the Athenian navy have on the Athenians

Answer 67

The growth of the navy not only gave the Athenians more confidence, it also helped Athens become more democratic

Question 68

What happened as the Athenian navy became more important

Answer 68

As time went on, and the Athenian navy grew more important, the rowers, who were proud of their skill and courage, demanded more rights, which they received

Question 69

Athen citizens between which ages were required to serve as soldiers, if needed

Answer 69

Athenian citizens from ages 17 to 59 were required to serve as soldiers, if needed

Question 70

What were armed foot soldiers called

Answer 70

Armed foot soldiers, called hoplites, carried spears, short swords, and shields into battle

Question 71

Which families did hoplites usually come from

Answer 71

Hoplites usually came from fairly wealthy families, for they had to pay for their equipment, but if a soldier whose father had been killed in battle needs equipment, they were armed by Athens at a public expense

Question 72

How many years passed before the Persians attempted another attack

Answer 72

Ten years would pass before the Persians attempted another invasion of the Greek mainland

Question 73

During the ten year period, before the next Persian attack, what happened to Darius

Answer 73

Darius passed away, and his son Xerxes came to power

Question 74

How did Darius and his son Xerxes compare

Answer 74

Xerxes was more arrogant and ambitious than his father, and was determined to conquer the proud Greeks

Question 75

How big was Xerxes military

Answer 75

Xerxes amassed a military staggering in its size — probably 200,000 soldiers or more, as well as several hundred ships

Question 76

Why did Xerxes believe he would conquer the Greeks

Answer 76

Xerxes believed he would win because the city-states were small and often fought each other

Question 77

What did the Greeks do, due to the fact that not one city-state could beat Persia alone

Answer 77

The Greeks knew no polis alone could beat Persia alone, so 30 city-states put aside their quarrels and formed a league of defense against the Persian threat. They agreed Sparta would be their leader

Question 78

What happened in 480 B.C.

Answer 78

In 480 B.C, the Persian army attacked from the north. To reach Athens and Sparta, the Persian army would have to go through a narrow path in the mountains, at a place called Thermopylae, meaning “hot gates”

Question 79

How did Thermopylae get its name

Answer 79

Thermopylae was named for the hot springs that bubbled up from the earth nearby

Question 80

How guarded the pass at Thermopylae

Answer 80

King Leonidas of Sparta guarded the pass at Thermopylae with only six or seven thousand men, so they were greatly outnumbered, but had positioned themselves in the narrowest part of the path, where they hoped to hold off the Persians

Question 81

What did King Leonidas’ name mean

Answer 81

King Leonidas’ name meant “like a lion”, for he was like a lion

Question 82

What happened as the Persians moved closer to the pass at Thermopylae

Answer 82

When the Persians moved towards the path, Spartan scouts warned their arrows would darken the sun like a cloud and how they were greatly outnumbered, yet Leonidas responded, “All the better, we shall fight them in the shade.”

Question 83

What happened when the Persians reached the pass at Thermopylae

Answer 83

The Persians attacked continuously, but each time the Greeks drove them back. For two days Leonidas held the pass, but with the help of Greek traitors, the Persians located trails around the pass, and at night, began to outflank the Greeks

Question 84

What did Leonidas do when he realized that doom was certain if they stayed at the pass at Thermopylae

Answer 84

Realizing doom was certain, Leonidas ordered most of the troops to retreat to the south, but with his personal guard of 300 Spartans, he would hold the pass as long as possible

Question 85

What happened to Leonidas and his 300 men that stayed at the pass at Thermopylae

Answer 85

Xerxes’ army rushed forward. Leonidas and the brave Spartans stood fast for a day, but one by one they fell , and at the end of the day, no Spartan remained alive. Since that time, the Spartans at Thermopylae have been remembered as a great example of honor in battle and faithfulness to duty. Years later, Greeks erected a monument at the pass that read: “Pause, traveler, ere you go your way. Then tell how, Spartan to the last, we fought and fell.”

Question 86

What happened after Xerxes took control of the pass at Thermopylae

Answer 86

Xerxes had taken the pass, but at the cost of thousands of men and a delay of a few days. This time cost him dearly. He marched his army south from Thermopylae and found Athens empty. The Athenians had sent their families to safety on the island of Salmis. The Athenian army was waiting aboard ships nearby. The Greek soldiers could see Athens going up in flames, yet they did not try to stop the Persians, for it was their plan to not fight on land, but on sea

Question 87

What was the plan Themistocles came up with before the Battle of Salamis

Answer 87

Themistocles, leader of the Greek navy, came up with a plan. Between Athens and Salamis was a narrow strait, which the whole Persian fleet could not enter at once. If the Greeks fleet waited near one end, to lure the Persian ships into the channel, then they would have to fight only a few Persian ships at a time. The Persians took the bait, and rowed into the treacherous strait, thinking they were moving in for the kill. Instead they found a well-trained navy waiting. Athenian triremes went forward and attacked

Question 88

How did the Athenian rowers fight during the Battle of Salamis

Answer 88

The Athenian rowers battled with the ferocity of men defending their city, as indeed they were

Question 89

In the Battle of Salamis, how many ships did the Persians lose

Answer 89

More than 200 ships

Question 90

What did Xerxes do during the Battle of Salamis

Answer 90

During the Battle of Salamis, Xerxes, sure of victory, say on a throne atop a cliff, so he could watch his ships destroy the Greeks

Question 91

How did the Greeks and Persians compare during the Battle of Salamis

Answer 91

Most of the Persians were foot soldiers unaccustomed to fighting at sea. The Persian rowers had to be whipped into battle. Worst of all, the Persians found themselves in strange waters. The Greek son the other hand, were good sailors and knew the water of the Salamis well

Question 92

What did Xerxes do on his throne on the hilltop when he saw his army was getting destroyed by the Greeks

Answer 92

A horrified Xerxes watched his vessels sinking into the sea, proving the mighty Persians were no match for the little Greek city-states and the powerful Athenian Navy. Xerxes escaped with his men, and within a year he returned home. The Persian Wars eventually came to an end

Question 93

What did Greek poets, artists, and statesmen do in commemoration to the Persian Wars

Answer 93

They recounted again and again the stories of Marathon, Thermopylae, and Salamis. They would never forget that brave men had laid down their lives to keep Hellas free from a grasping foreign empire

Question 94

When did the most intense fighting of the Persian Wars occur

Answer 94

The most intense fighting came in the decade from 490 B.C — 480 B.C, when the Persians launched invasions on the Greek mainland

Question 95

What are the Persian Wars sometimes called

Answer 95

The Greco-Persian Wars

Question 96

How long did the Persian Wars last

Answer 96

449 B.C — 499 B.C