Traditions & Encounters A Brief Global History 4Th Edition By Jerry Bentley – Test Bank

Complete Test Bank With Answers

 

 

Sample Questions Posted Below

 

Chapter 05 – The Empires of Persia

Chapter 05

The Empires of Persia

Multiple Choice Questions

1. (p. 85) The major early turning point in the rise of the Persian empire was the

A. victory of Darius at Salamis.

B. victory of Cyrus over Lydia.

C. victory in the Persian Wars.

D. defeat of the Sasanid empire.

E. victory of Cambyses over Rome.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

2. (p. 85) The leader of the Lydians who fell to Cyrus was

A. Cambyses.

B. Miltiades.

C. Astyages.

D. Croesus.

E. Darius.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

5-1

Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of

McGraw-Hill Education.Chapter 05 – The Empires of Persia

3. (p. 85) In organizing their empire, Persian rulers relied heavily on techniques of

administration from the

A. Lydians.

B. Egyptians.

C. Romans.

D. Chinese.

E. Mesopotamians.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

5-2

Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of

McGraw-Hill Education.Chapter 05 – The Empires of Persia

4. (p. 86) Which of the following lists of Persian empires is listed in correct chronological order,

from earliest to latest?

A. Achaemenids, Sasanids, Seleucids, Parthians

B. Parthians, Achaemenids, Seleucids, Sasanids

C. Sasanids, Parthians, Seleucids, Achaemenids

D. Achaemenids, Seleucids, Parthians, Sasanids

E. Sasanids, Seleucids, Parthians, Achaemenids

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

5. (p. 86) The Medes and Persians were originally

A. Indo-European peoples.

B. Semitic-speaking nomads related to the Hyksos.

C. later Mesopotamian petty kingdoms.

D. Dravidian tribes who had fled before the arrival of the Aryans in India.

E. minor Babylonian rulers.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

6. (p. 86) The founder of the Achaemenid empire was

A. Xerxes.

B. Cambyses.

C. Cyrus.

D. Darius.

E. Alexander.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

5-3

Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of

McGraw-Hill Education.Chapter 05 – The Empires of Persia

7. (p. 87) In 525 B.C.E. the Persian emperor Cambyses captured

A. Lydia.

B. Egypt.

C. northern India.

D. Media.

E. Greece.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

8. (p. 87) The greatest of the Achaemenid emperors was

A. Darius.

B. Cyrus.

C. Xerxes.

D. Cambyses.

E. Miltiades.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

9. (p. 86-87) Pasargadae was

A. the last great Persian emperor.

B. a nomadic tribe from the north that provided a constant threat to Persian survival.

C. the location of the greatest Persian military defeat.

D. the capital of the Persian empire before Persepolis.

E. the most important Persian religious prophet.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

5-4

Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of

McGraw-Hill Education.Chapter 05 – The Empires of Persia

10. (p. 87) The population of the Achaemenid empire under Darius was

A. one million.

B. three million.

C. six million.

D. eleven million.

E. thirty-five million.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

11. (p. 87-88) The magnificent capital of the Persian empire constructed by Darius was

A. Byzantium.

B. Pasargadae.

C. Marathon.

D. Susa.

E. Persepolis.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

12. (p. 88) Satrapies were

A. Mesopotamian kings.

B. Egyptian administrators.

C. Persian administrative and taxation districts.

D. demons of the Lydian underworld.

E. Arabian merchants.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

5-5

Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of

McGraw-Hill Education.Chapter 05 – The Empires of Persia

13. (p. 88) The Persian “eyes and ears of the king”

A. was Ahura Mazda.

B. were satraps.

C. was a popular expression that related to the divinity of the king.

D. were spies.

E. were the cavalry.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

14. (p. 88) Darius picked up the idea of a standardized government-issued coinage from the

A. Babylonians.

B. Egyptians.

C. Lydians.

D. Indians.

E. Chinese.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

15. (p. 89) Which of the following was true of Persian emperor Xerxes?

A. He ruled over the least violent period of the Achaemenid empire.

B. He showed extreme toleration for subject peoples.

C. He tried to impose Persian values on Mesopotamia and Egypt.

D. He harshly repressed rebellions and was seen as cruel.

E. He sought to prevent his successor, Darius, from damaging his legacy.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

5-6

Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of

McGraw-Hill Education.Chapter 05 – The Empires of Persia

16. (p. 88) The Persian king who regularized tax levies and standardized laws was

A. Cyrus.

B. Cambyses.

C. Darius.

D. Xerxes.

E. Alexander.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

17. (p. 88) The Persian law system under Darius sought to

A. codify the laws of the subject peoples where possible.

B. abolish the laws of individual lands.

C. impose a completely uniform law code on the entire empire.

D. terrify the subject tribes of the empire into submission.

E. enslave the conquered tribes.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

18. (p. 88) The centerpiece of the Persian communications network was the

A. Royal Road.

B. qanat.

C. Emperor’s Trail.

D. use of Assyrian mercenary spies.

E. Persian navy.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

5-7

Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of

McGraw-Hill Education.Chapter 05 – The Empires of Persia

19. (p. 89) The qanat were

A. Persian underground canals.

B. Persian oral historians.

C. the religious texts of the Zoroastrians.

D. the priestly class of the Persians.

E. the parables of Zarathustra.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

20. (p. 89) For his decision to allow them to return to their capital city and rebuild their temple,

Darius received high praise from these people. Who were they?

A. Assyrians

B. Egyptians

C. Medes

D. Jews

E. Dravidians

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

21. (p. 89) The king who failed to follow the normal Persian governing policy of toleration was

A. Darius.

B. Xerxes.

C. Cambyses.

D. Cyrus.

E. Hammurabi.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

5-8

Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of

McGraw-Hill Education.Chapter 05 – The Empires of Persia

22. (p. 90) The battle of Marathon in 490 B.C.E. proved to be

A. a bloody stalemate with, neither side claiming victory.

B. an overwhelming Persian victory.

C. a Persian loss.

D. a slight victory that turned the tide in Persia’s favor in the Persian Wars.

E. a Roman victory.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

23. (p. 90) The decisive victory of Alexander of Macedon over the Persians was called the battle

of

A. Gaugamela.

B. Marathon.

C. Persepolis.

D. Issus.

E. Athens.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

24. (p. 90) The Seleucid empire

A. created a state on a far grander scale than the Achaemenid empire.

B. employed a form of imperial administration copied from the Achaemenids.

C. fundamentally differed from the Achaemenids in their political structure.

D. was a petty kingdom that helped give rise to the later Achaemenid empire.

E. copied the Roman model of administration.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

5-9

Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of

McGraw-Hill Education.Chapter 05 – The Empires of Persia

25. (p. 90) The empire comprising most of the old Achaemenid state that was taken by a general

of Alexander the Great was the

A. Parthian empire.

B. Alexandrian empire.

C. Sasanid empire.

D. Seleucid empire.

E. Aryan empire.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

26. (p. 90) The Seleucids were finally defeated in 83 B.C.E. by the

A. Parthians.

B. Romans.

C. Achaemenids.

D. Sasanids.

E. Greeks.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

27. (p. 90) Which Iran-based empire followed the Achaemenids?

A. Parthian

B. Sasanid

C. Indo-European

D. Median

E. Carthaginian

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

5-10

Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of

McGraw-Hill Education.Chapter 05 – The Empires of Persia

28. (p. 91) The greatest Parthian conqueror was

A. Cyrus.

B. Mithradates I.

C. Ctesiphon.

D. Shapur I.

E. Darius.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

29. (p. 92) Ctesiphon was

A. the greatest Parthian ruler.

B. the capital of the Seleucid empire.

C. the prophet who transformed Persian religion.

D. the capital of the Parthian and Sasanid empires.

E. a Greek philosopher.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

30. (p. 92) Shapur I was the

A. Sasanid king who managed to defeat the Romans in several battles.

B. Persian king who lost the battle of Marathon to the Greeks.

C. last powerful Parthian ruler.

D. founder of the Achaemenid empire.

E. founder of the Seleucid empire.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

5-11

Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of

McGraw-Hill Education.Chapter 05 – The Empires of Persia

31. (p. 92) The Sasanids were defeated in 651 C.E. by

A. Byzantine imperial forces.

B. Roman forces.

C. Parthian armies.

D. Arab warriors.

E. the Greek navy.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

32. (p. 92) The social structure of the Medes and Persians was originally very similar to that of

the

A. Mesopotamians.

B. Greeks.

C. Aryans.

D. Romans.

E. Egyptians.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: Imperial Persian Society and Economy

33. (p. 96) Zoroastrianism began to attract large numbers of followers during the sixth century

B.C.E., particularly among

A. slaves.

B. peasants.

C. the military.

D. aristocrats.

E. traders.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: Classical Persian Religions of Salvation

5-12

Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of

McGraw-Hill Education.Chapter 05 – The Empires of Persia

34. (p. 96) Zarathustra talked about the battle between the “wise lord” Ahura Mazda and the evil

spirit

A. Avesta.

B. Angra Mainyu.

C. Ashur.

D. Ctesiphon.

E. Enlil.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: Classical Persian Religions of Salvation

35. (p. 96) The Gathas were

A. Persian underground canals.

B. the laws that made up the Persian legal code.

C. Persian administrative units.

D. Persian administrators.

E. Zarathustra’s compositions.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: Classical Persian Religions of Salvation

36. (p. 96-98) Which of the following was NOT a basic tenet of Zoroastrianism?

A. the belief in a heaven and hell

B. the encouragement of high moral standards

C. the view of the material world as a place of temptation that had to be ignored

D. the doctrine that individuals will undergo a final judgment

E. the belief that each individual could help determine his or her spiritual destiny

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: Classical Persian Religions of Salvation

5-13

Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of

McGraw-Hill Education.Chapter 05 – The Empires of Persia

37. (p. 96) Zarathustra viewed the material world as

A. an illusion.

B. a trick of Angra Mainyu to mislead the faithful.

C. the equivalent of hell.

D. a gift from Ahura Mazda that should be enjoyed.

E. a resting place for the reincarnated.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: Classical Persian Religions of Salvation

38. (p. 96) The words “good words, good thoughts, good deeds” were used to sum up the view

of morality of the

A. Jews.

B. Zoroastrians.

C. Hindus.

D. Buddhists.

E. Greeks.

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: Classical Persian Religions of Salvation

True / False Questions

39. (p. 87) The emperor of the Achaemenid empire at its greatest extent was Cyrus.

FALSE

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

40. (p. 91) The greatest Parthian conqueror was Mithradates I.

TRUE

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

5-14

Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of

McGraw-Hill Education.Chapter 05 – The Empires of Persia

5-15

Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of

McGraw-Hill Education.Chapter 05 – The Empires of Persia

41. (p. 90) The Seleucid empire was founded by one of Alexander’s generals.

TRUE

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

42. (p. 92) Shapur I was the Sasanid ruler under which the kingdom stabilized the western

frontier and formed buffer states between it and the Roman empire.

TRUE

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

43. (p. 86-87) The Achaemenid empire was founded by Cyrus.

TRUE

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

44. (p. 96) The religious teacher who brought about a major transformation of Persian religion

was Zarathustra.

TRUE

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: Classical Persian Religions of Salvation

45. (p. 90) The Persian loss to the Greeks in 490 B.C.E. was at Marathon.

TRUE

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

5-16

Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of

McGraw-Hill Education.Chapter 05 – The Empires of Persia

46. (p. 92) The Sasanids claimed direct descent from the Achaemenids and ruled from 224 C.E.

to 651 C.E.

TRUE

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

47. (p. 87) Cambyses was the Persian emperor who captured Egypt.

TRUE

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

48. (p. 90) The Parthians were a powerful Iranian empire that extended into Mesopotamia.

TRUE

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Topic: The Persian Empires

Essay Questions

49. 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?

Answers will vary

Topic: Classical Persian Religions of Salvation

5-17

Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of

McGraw-Hill Education.Chapter 05 – The Empires of Persia

50. What brought about the decline of the Achaemenid empire? How much did the Persian

Wars contribute to that decline?

Answers will vary

Topic: The Persian Empires

51. Discuss the basic tenets of Zoroastrianism. What role did Zarathustra play in the rise of

this religion? How influential was Zoroastrianism on later religions?

Answers will vary

Topic: Classical Persian Religions of Salvation

52. Compare the ruling techniques of the Persians, especially those of Cyrus and Darius, to

other societies you have studied so far.

Answers will vary

Topic: The Persian Empires

53. Examine the role of trade and agriculture in explaining the success of the Persian empires.

Why was the Royal Road so important?

Answers will vary

Topic: The Persian Empires

5-18

Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of

McGraw-Hill Education.Chapter 05 – The Empires of Persia

54. 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?

Answers will vary

Topic: Classical Persian Religions of Salvation

55. Describe the Achaemenid method of empire administration. What did the Achaemenids

borrow from previous Mesopotamian kingdoms, and what innovations did they introduce?

Answers will vary

Topic: The Persian Empires

56. The Achaemenid empire began to decline under Xerxes. Was his approach any different

than that of his predecessors, such as Cyrus or Darius?

Answers will vary

Topic: The Persian Empires

57. 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?

Answers will vary

Topic: The Persian Empires

5-19

Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of

McGraw-Hill Education.Chapter 05 – The Empires of Persia

58. Examine the rise of the Achaemenid empire. What role did Cyrus play in this process?

Discuss the nature of the empire under Darius.

Answers will vary

Topic: The Persian Empires

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

Answers will vary

Topic: The Persian Empires

60. Examine the social structure of the various Persian empires from the Achaemenids

through the Sasanids. What was the role of women during these empires?

Answers will vary

Topic: Imperial Persian Society and Economy

Topic: The Persian Empires

61. 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?

Answers will vary

Topic: Imperial Persian Society and Economy

Topic: The Persian Empires

5-20

Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of

McGraw-Hill Education.Chapter 05 – The Empires of Persia

62. 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?

Answers will vary

Topic: Imperial Persian Society and Economy

Topic: The Persian Empires

63. 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?

Answers will vary

Topic: Imperial Persian Society and Economy

Topic: The Persian Empires

64. Compare Zoroastrianism to any of the other religious concepts you’ve seen so far. How

was Zarathustra’s philosophy different, and in what ways was it influential?

Answers will vary

Topic: Classical Persian Religions of Salvation

65. Examine Map 5.1, The Achaemenid and Seleucid empires, 558-83 B.C.E. Compare the

size of the Achaemenid empire to the size of earlier states, as well as to that of the later

Seleucids, Parthians, and Sasanids. What would be the difficulties of ruling a state this large?

How cosmopolitan was the Achaemenid empire? Explain the significance of the Royal Road.

Answers will vary

Topic: The Persian Empires

5-21

Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of

McGraw-Hill Education.Chapter 05 – The Empires of Persia

66. Look at Map 5.2 The Parthian and Sasanid empires, 247 B.C.E.-651 C.E. Compare these

empires to the earlier Achaemenid state. How did the Achaemenids influence the Parthian and

Sasanid empires? What were the main contributions of the Achaemenids to history?

Answers will vary

Topic: The Persian Empires

67. Look at the carving of Darius on page 89. How does it reflect the hierarchy of government

and the power of the Achaemenid empire under Darius? Is the location of the carving

significant?

Answers will vary

Topic: The Persian Empires

68. Look at the picture of the gold clasp with the symbol of Ahura Mazda on page 96. Based

on Zarathustra’s religious views, why would Ahura Mazda be portrayed as a winged god?

Answers will vary

Topic: The Persian Empires

69. Discuss the passage from Zarathustra (see Textbook: Sources from the Past: Zarathustra

on Good and Evil). Examine the nature of Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu. In Zoroastrian

thought, what is the relationship between human beings and the gods? Does this critical role

of human beings indicate that Zoroastrianism was really a dualistic belief?

Answers will vary

Topic: Classical Persian Religions of Salvation

5-22

Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of

McGraw-Hill Education.Chapter 05 – The Empires of Persia

70. What can the passage from Zarathustra (see Textbook: Sources from the Past: Zarathustra

on Good and Evil) tell us about the influence of Zoroastrianism on later religions? In what

ways did Zoroastrianism influence Judaism, Christianity, and Islam?

Answers will vary

Topic: Classical Persian Religions of Salvation

71. How did Cyrus manage to expand the Persian holdings so dramatically during his

lifetime?

Answers will vary

Topic: The Persian Empires

72. Why does the text say that Darius was “more important as an administrator than as a

conqueror”?

Answers will vary

Topic: The Persian Empires

73. Describe the administrative structure of the Achaemenid empire.

Answers will vary

Topic: The Persian Empires

5-23

Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of

McGraw-Hill Education.Chapter 05 – The Empires of Persia

74. In what ways did Darius, and his successors, promote communication and commerce

throughout the empire?

Answers will vary

Topic: Imperial Persian Society and Economy

Topic: The Persian Empires

75. In what ways did Alexander of Macedon both destroy and preserve elements of the

Achaemenid empire?

Answers will vary

Topic: Imperial Persian Society and Economy

Topic: The Persian Empires

76. How did the Parthians come to control the Persian empire?

Answers will vary

Topic: The Persian Empires

77. What was the role of the imperial bureaucrats in Persian society? How did they fit in with

the other social classes?

Answers will vary

Topic: Imperial Persian Society and Economy

Topic: The Persian Empires

5-24

Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of

McGraw-Hill Education.Chapter 05 – The Empires of Persia

78. What agricultural technologies and techniques did the Persians use to produce the large

surpluses they needed to feed their huge population of nonfood producers?

Answers will vary

Topic: Imperial Persian Society and Economy

79. Describe the status of the free classes and slaves during the Persian empires. How was

each connected to the economy and what contributions did each make to the larger society?

Answers will vary

Topic: Imperial Persian Society and Economy

5-25

Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of

McGraw-Hill Education.