PERSIA- CAMBYSES (2)

Question 1

When did Cambyses become king?

Answer 1

August 530 BC

Question 1

Who is Bardiya

Answer 1

Also known by Herodotus as Smerdis, the younger brother of Cambyses and son of Cyrus

Question 2

Who was the King of Egypt at the time?

Answer 2

Amasis

Question 3

What did Amasis do with Cambyses?

Answer 3

Sent him Nitetis, the daughter of a former king he had deposed, instead of his own daughter, presumably Nitocris II, to marry him

Question 4

When did Egypt try to invade the Levant?

Answer 4

580s BC

Question 5

Who was Polycrates?

Answer 5

Tyrant of Samos

Question 6

When did Polycrates take power?

Answer 6

535 BC

Question 7

When did Polycrates switch sides to the Persians?

Answer 7

Early 520s BC

Question 8

How long did Amasis reign for?

Answer 8

44 years (570-526 BC)

Question 9

Who was Amasis’ son?

Answer 9

Psammetichus

Question 10

Which greek mercenary defected from the Egyptian side?

Answer 10

Phanes

Question 11

Why was the defection of Phanes important?

Answer 11

He advised Cambyses to make an alliance with the desert Arabs, to help him with water and food as his army crossed the desert into Eypt

Question 12

Where did the Persians win their first battle against the Egyptians?

Answer 12

Pelusium

Question 13

Where did the Persians move to after Pelusium?

Answer 13

Memphis

Question 14

Which three nations submitted to the Persians after their conquest of Egypt?

Answer 14

Libya, Barca and Cyrene

Question 15

What happened during the attack of the Oasis at Ammon?

Answer 15

50,000 men were killed and buried in a sandstorm

Question 16

What were Herodotus’ views on Cambyses

Answer 16

‘behaving as a madman who disrespects the local gods’

Question 17

What was the sacred bull in Egypt called

Answer 17

Apis Bull- the one he injured was dedicated in November 524 BC

Question 18

What did Cambyses do to the Apis Bull

Answer 18

Threw a knife at it

Question 19

Who did Cambyses send to kill Smerdis?

Answer 19

Prexaspes

Question 20

What did Cambyses allegedly do to his sister/wife

Answer 20

kicked her to death when she was pregnant

Question 21

What happened to Cambyses

Answer 21

He died of gangrene in a city in Syria called Ecbatana (prophecy said that, but he always thought it meant the median royal city)

Question 22

Who was Patizeithes

Answer 22

Magus who took over, pretending to be Smerdis after his death (they looked alike)

Question 23

Who is Udjahorresne

Answer 23

Adviser to cambyses

Question 24

What did Udjahorresne call Cambyses

Answer 24

King of Upper and Lower Egypt

Question 25

How is Cambyses described in the inscription of Udjahorresne

Answer 25

A restorer of order who supports the worship of Egyptian gods

Question 26

Which source is more reliable when describing Cambyses?

Answer 26

Herodotus would have been strongly biased against Cambyses, and Udjahorresne was an Egyptian

Question 27

When did the Persians take control of the Levant

Answer 27

530s BC

Question 28

Why did taking control of the Levant benefit the Persians?

Answer 28

It gave them the naval prowess of the Phoenician sailor, and access to Mediterranean trade routes. The Island of Cyprus also submitted (willingly), which helped this as well.

Question 29

Why did Cambyses want to kill Smerdis?

Answer 29

He had a dream that a messenger announced to him that Smerdis was sitting on the throne, and his head touched the sky (presumably once Cambyses had sent Smerdis back to Persia)