Download Persian Empire Notes

Persian Empire:
1. Who ruled Persia for 150 year?
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The Medes
2. What did Cyrus do?
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Cyrus revolted against the Medes
He conquered the Medes and started the Persian Empire
3. What lands did he conquer?
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He conquered a lot of southwest Asia, several Greek cities and
Mesopotamia.
4. What did Cyrus do to keep the people he conquered from revolting?
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He let the people keep their way of live, so they wouldn’t revolt.
5. What is he known as?
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He is known as Cyrus the Great, because he ruled over the largest
empire the world had ever seen.
6. Why was Cyrus’ army strong?
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His army was well organized and very devoted to him.
His army had a powerful Calvary.
7. What is a Calvary?
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A Calvary is made up of soldiers who ride horses.
8. What did Cyrus use his Calvary for?
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He used his Calvary to charge and shoot his enemies with arrows.
9. After Cyrus died, who took over?
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After Cyrus died, his son, Cambyses took over.
10. Which lands did he conquer?
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He conquered Egypt.
11. After Cambyses died, who took over?
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After Cambyses died, a prince named Darius claimed the throne.
12. What did Darius do to the Persian Empire?
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Darius divided the Persian Empire into 20 provinces.
13. What is a satrap?
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A satrap is a governor that ruled over each province.
14. What three things did Darius do?
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Darius built many roads connecting the empire.
He built a new capital called Persepolis.
He started a new religion called Zoroastrianism.
15. Why did Darius get mad at the Greeks?
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Several Greek cities revolted against Persian rule.
Persians won the revolt, but Darius was angry with the Greeks for
revolting.
16. What did the Battle of Marathon start?
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The Battle of Marathon started a series of wars between the Greeks
and the Persians, called the Persian Wars.
17. Who was it between?
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The Battle of Marathon was between the Athenian Army and Persian
Army.
18. Who won the Battle of Marathon?
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The Athenian Army won the Battle of Marathon.
19. Why?
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The Athenian Army won because they had better weapons and
leaders.
20. Who is Darius’ son?
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Darius’ son was Xerxes.
Xerxes tried to conquer Greece, again.
21. What happened in 480 BC?
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In 480 BC, the Persian Army and Navy set out for Greece.
22. Which two city-states fought against the Persians?
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Sparta joined Athens to fight the Persians.
23. How did the Persians get to the city-states?
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To get to the city-states, the Persians had to cross Thermopylde
(narrow coastal passage), but were not successful.
They were told an alternate route from a Greek traitor.
24. What did the Persians do to Athens?
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The Persians burned Athens.
25. Which battle ended the Persian Wars?
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The Battle of Plataea ended the Persian Wars.
26. Who won?
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The armies from all over Greece beat the Persians.
The Greeks saved their homeland!