Question 1

The religious teacher who brought about a major transformation of Persian religion was Zarathustra.

Accepted Answer

Zarathustra, also known as Zoroaster, founded Zoroastrianism, a major religion in ancient Persia that influenced later religions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Question 2

What brought about the decline of the Achaemenid empire? How much did the Persian Wars contribute to that decline?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What brought about the decline of the...

Question 3

In the Gathas,Zarathustra wrote,"In the beginning,there were two Primal Spirits,Twins spontaneously active." Who were these "Twins"? Could it be argued that Zoroastrianism was not monotheistic at all? If Zoroastrianism is not monotheistic,might Christianity not be monotheistic?

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the Gathas,Zarathustra wrote,"In the beginning,there were...

Question 4

Cambyses was the Persian emperor who captured Egypt.

Accepted Answer

Cambyses was the Persian emperor who captured Egypt in 525 BCE.

Question 5

Describe the Achaemenid method of empire administration.What did the Achaemenids borrow from previous Mesopotamian kingdoms,and what innovations did they introduce?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the Achaemenid method of empire administration.What...

Question 6

The Parthians were a powerful Iranian empire that extended into Mesopotamia.

Accepted Answer

The Parthians were a powerful Iranian empire that extended into Mesopotamia during the 3rd century BC to the 3rd century AD.

Question 7

The victories of the Greeks at Marathon and of Alexander of Macedon at Gaugamela are all too often seen as victories for the rise of civilization.In what ways might these Persian losses be considered losses for the rise of civilization?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The victories of the Greeks at Marathon...

Question 8

The Achaemenid empire began to decline under Xerxes.Was his approach any different than that of his predecessors,such as Cyrus or Darius?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Achaemenid empire began to decline under...

Question 9

Examine the development of the Seleucid,Parthian,and Sasanid empires.In what ways were they a continuation of the Achaemenid tradition? In what ways were they different?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Examine the development of the Seleucid,Parthian,and Sasanid...

Question 10

Examine the social structure of the various Persian empires from the Achaemenids through the Sasanids.What was the role of women during these empires?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Examine the social structure of the various...

Question 11

In what ways,both political and religious,did the later Seleucid,Parthian,and Sasanid empires try to position themselves as the heirs of the Achaemenids? Why did they do this? How successful were they in this attempt?

Accepted Answer

The answer of In what ways,both political and religious,did the...

Question 12

Examine the relationship between the various Persian dynasties and the Zoroastrian religion.What does the spread of this religion say about the Persian philosophy of rule?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Examine the relationship between the various Persian...

Question 13

The Persian loss to the Greeks in 490 B.C.E.was at Marathon.

Accepted Answer

The Battle of Marathon in 490 B.C.E. resulted in a Persian loss to the Greeks.

Question 14

Examine the role of trade and agriculture in explaining the success of the Persian empires.Why was the Royal Road so important?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Examine the role of trade and agriculture...

Question 15

The victory of Alexander of Macedon at Gaugamela,in 331 B.C.E.,helped to bring about an end to the Achaemenid empire.In what ways did the empire live on?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The victory of Alexander of Macedon at...

Question 16

Compare the ruling techniques of the Persians,especially those of Cyrus and Darius,to other societies you have studied so far.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Compare the ruling techniques of the Persians,especially...

Question 17

The Sasanids claimed direct descent from the Achaemenids and ruled from 224 to 651 C.E.

Accepted Answer

The statement is true. The Sasanids claimed direct descent from the Achaemenids, who were the ancient rulers of Persia, and held power from 224 to 651 C.E.

Question 18

What was a satrapy? How did satrapies help the Achaemenids rule their empire?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What was a satrapy? How did satrapies...

Question 19

Discuss the basic tenets of Zoroastrianism.What role did Zarathustra play in the rise of this religion? How influential was Zoroastrianism on later religions?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Discuss the basic tenets of Zoroastrianism.What role...

Question 20

Examine the rise of the Achaemenid empire.What role did Cyrus play in this process? Discuss the nature of the empire under Darius.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Examine the rise of the Achaemenid empire.What...

Quiz 7: The Empires of Persia