Unit 1: Ancient Greece

Question 1

Cyrus

Answer 1

a Persian king in 550 BC, who respected conquered nations and their religions/customs, also was a military genius

Question 2

Cambyses

Answer 2

son of Cyrus, named after his grandfather, Persian king after Cyrus in 530 BC, failed to follow his father’s wise and honorable example when conquering Egypt

Question 3

Darius

Answer 3

next Persian king after Cambyses in 522 BC,who spent the first 3 years of his reign putting down revolts across the Persian Empire, he brought peace and organization to the Persian Empire; he divided the Persian Empire into 20 provinces, each with it’s own satrap, or governor, military leader, and tax collector; the “ King’s Eyes and Ears” were inspectors who ensured loyalty of provinces; made coins of standard value

Question 4

Satrap

Answer 4

appointed governor of a province

Question 5

Royal Road

Answer 5

ran from Susa (Persia) to Sardis (Anatolia), 1,677 miles long; allowed quick communication with other parts of the empire

Question 6

Zoroaster

Answer 6

Persian prophet, who lived in 600 BC, taught that the earth is a battleground where a great struggle id fought between the spirit of good and the spirit of evil; preached that everyone is expected to take part in this struggle and at the end of time, Ahura Mazda (Zoroastrian god) will judge you according to how well you fought for good

Question 7

Mycenaeans

Answer 7

people who settled in Greece in 2000 BC; the name Mycenaean came from the name of their main city, Mycenae, which had an almost unpenetrable 20 ft thick wall surrounding it; had strong rulers that dominated Greece from about 1600-1100 BC

Question 8

Trojan War

Answer 8

1150 / 1200s BC, 10 years; fought between Troy and Greece; it began when the Mycencaeans conquered the Minoans and then wanted to conquer another civilization, Troy
Legend: Trojan prince kidnapped Helen (beautiful wife of Greek king) and Greece wanted to get her back

Question 9

Dorians

Answer 9

barbarians; Around 1200 BC, they moved into the raided Mycenaean countryside after the Mycenaean civilization collapsed; they spoke a dialect of Greek, less advanced than the Mycenaeans

Question 10

Homer

Answer 10

blind storyteller and great epic poet, wrote the Illiad around 750-700 BC, which was based upon the Trojan War

Question 11

epic

Answer 11

narrative poems celebrating heroic deeds

Question 12

myth

Answer 12

traditional stories

Question 13

polis

Answer 13

Greek city-state

Question 14

acropolis

Answer 14

fortified hilltop in ancient Greece; used to see of enemies were coming; had temples; government; the city forms around it

Question 15

monarchy

Answer 15

• type of government where one king rules

- practiced by Mycenae in 2000 BC

Question 16

aristocracy

Answer 16

• type of government ruled by a small group of noble, landowning families (ppl who inherited nobility)
• practiced in Athens before 594 BC

Question 17

oligarchy

Answer 17

• type of government that is ruled by a few powerful/wealthy citizens
• anyone can participate as long as they meet the wealth requirement
• practiced in Sparta in 500 BC

Question 18

tyrant

Answer 18

not cruel or mean, powerful individuals (usually nobles/ wealthy ppl) who seized control of gov by appealing to the common ppl for support

Question 19

democracy

Answer 19

type of government that is ruled by the ppl

Question 20

helot

Answer 20

peasants who were forced to stay on the land they worked

Question 21

phalanx

Answer 21

a military formation of foot soldiers armed with spears and shields; an array of warriors; used teamwork

Question 22

Persian Wars

Answer 22

series of wars fought between the Persian Empire and the Greek city-states from 546 BC, which was when the Persians conquered Ionia, to several years after in 479 BC, when Xerxes’ army was defeated when his ships sank.

Question 23

What was the major difference between Cyrus and Darius?

Answer 23

Darius developed many successful strategies combining Persian control with self-government which Cyrus didn’t have a chance to build

Question 24

What did Darius not use to hold his empire together?

Answer 24

Zoroastrianism

Question 25

What quote was on Cyrus’s tomb and what does it tell you about his character?

Answer 25

“I established the Persian Empire…..Do not begrudge me at my memorial.” It tell you that he is a respectful, compassionate, humble, and modest man.

Question 26

What events led to the development of Zoroastrianism?

Answer 26

a time of war and famine made ppl question why there is so much suffering and chaos in the world

Question 27

What was the major importance of the Royal Road?

Answer 27

it helped unify the Persian Empire

Question 28

hoplites

Answer 28

Spartan warriors

Question 29

1st Persian War

Answer 29

490 BC, 1 year, one battle- the Battle of Marathon; Athenians won; the Persians weren’t used to fighting a phalanx; 200 Athenians died, 6,000 Persian died

Question 30

2nd Persian War

Answer 30

480-479 BC, battles of Thermopylae (480 BC), Salamis (480 BC), and Plataea (479 BC); at Thermopylae, the Persians won; at Salamis, the Greeks won by wiping out most of the Persian ships; at Plataea, the Greeks won on Spartan land