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Year 11 Ancient History > Persian Kings > Flashcards

Persian Kings Flashcards

KNOW YOUR ANSHAN FROM YOUR AHURAMAZDA!

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1
Q

Of which city was Cyrus originally king?

A

Anshan

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2
Q

What was the capital of Media?

A

Ecbatana

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3
Q

Who was the King of the Medes (conquered by Cyrus c.550 BC)?

A

Astyages

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4
Q

Which Babylonian source (c.500BC) gives us a brief account of Cyrus’ conquest of the Medes?

A

The Nabonidus Chronicle

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5
Q

Herodotus tells us that the army of the Medes defected under the command of a disgruntled adviser; what was his name?

A

Harpagus

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6
Q

Why, according to Herodotus, did Croesus, King of the Lydians, want to invade Persian territory? Give two reasons!

A

1) Because an oracle had told him he would ‘destroy a great empire’.
2) In order to gain revenge for Astyages, conquered by Cyrus.

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7
Q

Why did Cyrus invade Lydia? Give Herodotus’ view AND suggest a reason of your own.

A

Herodotus: In response to Croesus’ invasion of Persian territory.
Likely reason: Cyrus was hungry for the wealth and natural resources of Lydia (gold in the river Pactolus).

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8
Q

How did Cyrus invade Media according to the Nabonidus Chronicle?

A

Astyages marched against Cyrus but then Astyages’ army mutinied against him and Cyrus then looted Ecbatana

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9
Q

What was the name of the main battle between Lydia and Persia in 546 BC?

A

The Battle of Pteria

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10
Q

What happened to Croesus after Sardis fell?

A

Cyrus gave orders for him to be burned alive, but Croesus spoke wisely on the fortunes of men and so Cyrus took pity and spared him (the Lydians said that Croesus prayed to Apollo and he sent rain to extinguish the flames).

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11
Q

In what year did Cyrus invade Babylon and why?

A

Cyrus invaded in 539 BC and it was probably because Babylon was the greatest threat to the Persian Empire. The Cyrus Cylinder (Babylonian source written after the invasion) suggests that Cyrus was chosen by Marduk, chief god of the Babylonian religion.

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12
Q

At whose hands did Cyrus die?

A

The Massagetae: Queen Tomyris found his corpse on the battlefield according to Herodotus (and pushed his head into a wineskin filled with blood, in revenge for killing her son, Spargapises )

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13
Q

What happened after the Battle of Pteria?

A

There were huge losses on both sides. Croesus forced to withdraw to Sardis for winter. Cyrus continues to march on to Sardis and captures it. Lydia conquered.

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14
Q

What does the Nabonidus Chronicle and the Cyrus Cylinder say about how Cyrus conquered Babylon?

A

Cyrus was chosen by Marduk to be king. Cyrus, king of Anshan was pronounced king all over the world as he was the favourite. All the other kings were weak and illegitimate. The whole of Babylon and of Sumer and Akkad bowed to Cyrus and kissed his feet. He did this without fighting a battle,

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15
Q

When did Cyrus become king and when did he die?

A

559 BC and 530 BC respectively.

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16
Q

What features does Pasargadae have?

A

Gardens were irrigated and interwoven with paths and stone waterways, 1,100m long. The Zendan, a stone tower at 12.5 m high, may have been involved in coronation ceremonies. Palaces built with white stone with traces of painted plaster and decorated with porticoes and carvings of lions and bulls.

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17
Q

What did the source from Xenophanes mention?

A

“What age were you when the Mede came?” This very likely referred to the Persian invasion of Asia Minor.

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18
Q

In what year did Cambyses conquer Egypt?

A

525 BC

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19
Q

What are the 3 stories Herodotus gives us for why Cambyses invaded Egypt in 525 BC?

A

1: Amasis gave Cambyses a false daughter to marry. 2: Cambyses was grandson of Apries (and so half Egyptian). 3: He promised his mother he would get revenge on Egypt as Cyrus favoured his Egyptian concubine.

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20
Q

Give three probable reasons why Cambyses really invaded Egypt.

A
  1. His father Cyrus probably was already planning it when he conquered Babylon in 539. 2. Cambyses may have felt that Egypt would threaten his control of the Levant. 3. Amasis had allied himself with Croesus when Cyrus invaded Lydia.
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21
Q

How may the death of Amasis in 526 have led to Cambyses’ invasion of Egypt?

A

This may have caused Polycrates, tyrant of Samos, to switch his alliance from Egypt to Persia, thus giving Cambyses access to a powerful navy to match Egyptian sea power.

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22
Q

What did Cambyses do with regards to Psammetichus/ Psammenitus (Amasis’ son) when he conquered Egypt (according to Herodotus)?

A

Made the king’s children act like slaves and sentenced the prince to death. Allowed him to live until he raised a revolt, then was killed.

23
Q

In general, how does Herodotus portray Cambyses?

A

Irrational-starts a war over very little. Evil-made his subjects worship him out of fear, killed the sacred and worshipped Apis bull and humiliated and killed the king

24
Q

What are the two ways told about how Cambyses died?

A

1: Herodotus- as he jumped onto his steed, the sheath fell off his sword and he was stabbed in the thigh (where he’d killed the Apis bull). 2: Bisitun-just gives one line, that he “died of natural causes”.

25
Q

How and why did Cambyses go mad?

A

When Cambyses came back from his terrible expedition to Ethiopia, there was a festival in Egypt, celebrating the Apis bull; Cambyses had the bull brought to him which he stabbed in the thigh and killed

26
Q

Which source tells us that Cambyses was respectful to Egyptian religion?

A

Statue of Udjahorresnet (Cambyses’ chief physician): it says that Cambyses cleared foreign soldiers from the Temple of Neit, and prostrated himself before her and made sacrifices.

27
Q

When did Cambyses rule?

A

530-522BC

28
Q

How many men were sent to burn the oracle of who?

A

50,000 to burn the Oracle of Zeus-Ammon at Siwah (but they disappeared in a sandstorm)

29
Q

Why is Herodotus’ account of Cambyses so different from the Egyptian sources?

A

Cambyses removed protections from tax from temples: this must have angered priests and educated Egyptians, who may have influenced Herodotus’ sources.

30
Q

In what year did Darius become king?

A

522BC

31
Q

What source tells us a lot about the events that led to Darius becoming king?

A

The Bisitun Inscription (though it may be pro-Darius propaganda designed to hide the truth!)

32
Q

When establishing himself as king, how many battles were fought and how many kings did he enslave?

A

19 battles and 9 kings

33
Q

In which two cities did Darius carry-out building projects?

A

Susa and Persepolis

34
Q

When was the Ionian Revolt?

A

499-494BC

35
Q

According to Herodotus, what were the 4 major battles of Xerxes’ invasion of Greece?
Names and in order

A

480 BC: Battle of Thermopylae
Battle of Salamis
479 BC: Battle of Plataea
Battle of Mycale

36
Q

According to Herodotus, what does Xerxes do to the Hellespont after a storm destroys his first bridge?

A

He orders shackles to be thrown into it, and for it to be given 300 lashes

37
Q

Why could it be argued that Xerxes’ invasion of Greece was not a complete failure?

A

He successfully burnt Athens down twice.
It was a show of strength. It could be argued that it was originally meant as revenge for the Ionian revolt and the Battle of Marathon.

38
Q

Where did Xerxes initially campaign when he became King?

A

Egypt, swiftly crushing two revolts in 484 BC (hardly mentioned by Herodotus); they may have been inspired to revolt by the Battle of Marathon.

39
Q

According to Herodotus, what ruse did Artemisia pull off at the battle of Salamis?

A

Whilst being chased by an Athenian ship, she decided to ram a Persian ship, so as to seem friendly towards the Athenian ship

40
Q

What were Xerxes’ main concerns when he became king?

A

The Egyptian revolt; had to establish himself as the legitimate king (particularly if Darius’ accession was an Achaemenid coup)

41
Q

What were Xerxes’ reasons for invading Greece?

A

Revenge for Darius’ defeat at Marathon.
New frontier, allowing strategic access to Europe;
Darius had already planned an invasion of Greece;
Wanted to prove himself as a powerful king.

42
Q

Which city did Xerxes burn down twice?

A

Athens

43
Q

What piece of significant architecture was built by Xerxes?

A

The Gate of all Nations at Persepolis

44
Q

What was the gate of all nations trying to achieve?

A

To advertise Persian/Achaemenid power and to associate Xerxes with his father Darius’ rule (NB. A Persian inscription says ‘Darius had other sons..but thus was the desire of Ahuramazda: Darius, my father, made me the greatest after himself.’)

45
Q

What is the name of the Poet that describes Cyrus’ invasion of Ionia?

A

Xenophanes

46
Q

What are the names of the two non- Greek sources for the invasion of Babylon and are they favourable towards Cyrus?

A

Nabonidus chronicle; Cyrus Cylinder. They both make Cyrus come across as a liberator

47
Q

Which animal does Cambyses give a huge funeral and celebration for (according to the ‘Apis Bull inscription’)?

A

The Apis Bull (Note that Herodotus claims Cambyses killed the Apis Bull himself, thinking its festival was mocking him after the expedition to Ethiopia)

48
Q

What was the name of the high-ranking Egyptian official that was full of praise for Cambyses?

A

Udjahorresne

49
Q

Which source from the 530s BC tells us about Cyrus’ treatment of the Jews?

A

Old Testament: Isaiah 45 refers to Cyrus as a ‘Messiah’ for allowing the Jews exiled in Babylon to return to Jerusalem (the only non-Jew to be called ‘Messiah’ in the Bible); Ezra 6 and Chronicles 2 credit him for restoring the temple in Jerusalem

50
Q

What is the name of the source that details Darius’ defeat over Guamata (aka Smerdis in Herodotus’ account)?

A

The Bisitun Inscription (commissioned c.520, about 100m up a cliff above the road between Babylon and Ecbatana)

51
Q

How many battles did Darius fight (as claimed by the Bisitun Inscription) and how many kings did he overthrow?

A

19 battles in one year

Overthrew nine kings

52
Q

How far away was Persepolis from Pasargadae?

A

25 miles

53
Q

What were the main features of the great apadana in Persepolis, as developed by Darius?

A

Elevated by 3 metres. 60 metres in length.
Two monumental stairways, with relief sculptures depicting 23 nations paying tribute to the King, including the Ionians. The nations are not kneeling or bowing, and some even carry weapons, suggesting they are willing partners in the empire.

54
Q

What addition did Xerxes make to Persepolis? What phrases link its accompanying inscription to Darius?

A

The Gate of All Lands
Key phrase: “Much other good (construction) was built within this city of Parsa, which I built and my father built, by the grace of Ahuramazda”

Year 11 Ancient History (3 decks)

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