Persia Flashcards
Main Idea-Persia
Persian Empire ruled w/ tolerance and wise govt
Relevance-Persia
Tolerance and wise govt are characteristics of most successful methods of rule
Where was Persia?
modern-day Iran
What marks Persia out among ancient empires?
world’s largest empire
Where did Persia stretch from?
Indus river to Lydia, dips down to Israel
What were the key aspects of the Persian empire?
as opposed to previous empires, i.e. Assyrians, who employed exclusive coercive power and military force to control a vast empire, Persians based their empire on tolerance and diplomacy
what is diplomacy and what is a modern example of it?
the art of dealing with people, especially other nations, in a sensitive and effective way. UN.
What did Cyrus put into practice with his conquests that deviated from the norm?
- Looting, rape, pillage, and burning of buildings by troops was forbidden during conquering
- Conquered people were never enslaved
What had Cyrus done by 539 BCE?
Conquered the entire Fertile Crescent
What made Cyrus so great?
he made use of reverent power.
What did Cyrus do in Babylonia?
Fixed their houses, abolished the corvee
How was Cyrus affiliated with the Jews?
He honored God even though he lived in a polytheistic culture. He was favorable toward the Jewish people and allowed them to go back to Israel and rebuild the Temple. This is why he was called Mashiach in Tanach even though he’s a gentile.
What year did Cyrus die?
530 BCE
What year did Cambyses inherit the throne and conquer Egypt?
525 BCE
Who was Cambyses?
Cyrus’s son?
What can we learn from Cyrus’s tomb?
relatively unadorned, shows his humility
how did Cyrus present himself when he conquered Babylon?
As their ally, a liberator
How was Cyrus similar to Julius Caesar?
Conquered but didn’t live long enough to put the empire together
What was the battle of Pelusium?
Conflict between the pharaoh Psametik III and Cambyses.
What year was the battle of Pelusium?
525 BCE
What is another name for the pharoah Psametik III?
Psammenitus
Where was the position at Pelusium?
mouth of the Nile
What did Psammenitus do in prep for the battle?
stood by the position @ Pelusium and waited for attack
Why was Psammenitus probably confident?
His fortresses were strong and well provisioned
Who was Bastet?
the Egyptian cat goddess. also goddess of home, love, fertility, dance, women and secrets.
What was the punishment for killing a cat in Egypt?
Death.
What does the historian Herodotus tell us about the cats in ancient Egypt?
That in a burning building the Egyptians would rescue the cats first, and the members of a household where the cat died a natural death shaved their eyebrows as a sign of grief. Cats were mummified with jewelry just as people were.
What did Cambyses use to his advantage and how?
The knowledge that Egyptians revered their cats. He had the image of Bastet, who had a cat head, painted on his soldiers’ shields, and lined up other animals that Egyptians felt that for in front of them. The Egyptians, seeing the image and fearing harming the animals, surrendered.
How was the battle of Pelusium significant?
It ended the sovereignty of Egypt bc it was made part of the Persian empire.
After the battle, according to legend, what did Cambyses do?
threw cats into the faces of the defeated Egyptians.
What were Darius’s achievements?
Built city of Persepolis, replaced barter economy with a money economy-introduced coins, set up efficient government, built roads, created impulse buying
What were satraps?
delegates of Darius, kind of like a governor of each province in Persian empire. King’s eyes and ears.
How was the Royal Road system effective?
The king could hear news from distant territories while it was still fresh, and send messages back quickly. Otherwise, the king’s reactions would always be out of date and problems could wprsen.
How long was the Royal Road?
1,677 miles.
What was the Royal Road?
A road for messengers built by the Persian Empire; connects Susa in Persia to Sardis in Anatolia.
How many posts were there on the Royal Road? How far apart were they?
11, about 15 miles.
What does Persepolis mean?
Persian City in Greek.
Why did Darius build the city on a terrace?
viewable from afar
How did Darius treat his laborers?
He paid them right
How were the city palaces adorned in Persepolis?
gold and silver, expensive tapestries, colorful tiles, glazed brick
What other major engineering feat can be seen @ Persepolis?
Water and drainage system/plumbing
What did Cambyses do that was very different from Cyrus’s style?
He disrespected Egyptian religion and ordered the images of Egyptian gods to be burned
How long did Cambyses rule before he died?
8 years.
Who succeeded Cambyses? What did he have to do?
Darius. He started putting down the revolts.
How many provinces did Darius divide Persia into?
20.
What was different about each Persian province?
Each province practiced their own religion, spoke their own language, and followed many of their own laws.
Why were Persians able to turn their thoughts to religion?
Due to the stable empire created by Darius as well as the personal freedom he encouraged, Persians were able to ponder the deeper meaning of life.
What is Zoroastrianism based on?
Zoroaster and the cosmic struggle between the two supreme powers, the concept that man has free will and can choose between heaven and hell
Who was Zoroaster?
The first non biblical monotheist (more accurately a dualist) and the founder of Zoroastrianism
What is dualism?
Two gods or powers
Who is Ahura Mazda and Aura Mainyu?
The supreme god and god of darkness, respectively
What was the Faravahar?
A symbol of Zoroastrianism that symbolized the mantra good deeds, good words, and good thoughts.
What did the head of the Faravahar represent?
The soul/wisdom
What did the hand of the Faravahar represent?
Look up to the divine
What did the circle in the other hand of the Faravahar represent?
Circle of life
What was the Persian religion?
Zoroastrianism
How long did a message take to travel down the royal road? A caravan?
A week. Three months.
Who discovered the Palace of Knossos?
Sir Arthur Evans.
How many Persian provinces were there?
20
