Persians vs Greeks Flashcards
(24 cards)
Who were the wild tribesmen in the northern mountains of Mesopotamia?
The Persians.
What was the Persians religion?
They worshiped light and the sun and believed it to be in constant warfare with the dark which they thought represented the powers of evil.
Who ruled over the Persians first?
Assyrians.
Who led the Persians against the Babylonians?
Cyrus.
What did the Persians do to the Jews after they took Babylon?
Set them free and allowed them to return home to Jerusalem.
Who planned to conquer Egypt?
Cyrus.
Who succeeded in conquering Egypt?
Cambyses.
Who was Cambyses to Cyrus?
He was his son.
How long did the Egyptian empire last?
Nearly three hundred years.
How far did the Persian empire stretch when Darius was king?
From Egypt to the frontiers of India.
Why did Darius build roads?
so that his orders might be carried without delay to the furthest parts of his kingdom.
Where did Darius try to expand his empire?
Into Asia Minor.
Why did the Ionian Greeks not like being part of the Persian empire?
They weren’t used to being part of an empire. They were used to running their own affairs and didn’t like having a leader far off in Asia who expected instant obedience and they certainly didn’t want to pay tribute to said leader.
What were many of the people who lived in the Greek colonies?
Rich merchants.
What happened to the first fleet of ships Darius set to fight the Greeks?
The ships were caught in a violent storm, dashed against the cliffs and sunk.
What did Darius have his slave shout three times at every meal?
‘Sire, remember the Athenians!’
Who did Darius send the second time to fight the Greeks?
His son-in-law.
Where did Darius’ second fleet drop anchor?
Marathon.
How many Persian soldiers marched on Marathon?
Seventy thousand.
How many Athenians soldiers defended Marathon?
Ten thousand.
What was one of the reasons the Greeks were able to defeat the Persians at Marathon?
They had a brave and able general named Miltiades who lived among the Persians and was familiar with their fighting tactics.
How was Xerxes army described?
Dressed in their traditional costumes, with their weapons, their bows and arrows, shields and swords, lances, war-chariots and slings, they were a vast swirling multitude.
What pass did the Spartans try to stop the Persians from crossing?
Thermopylae.
What did the Greek poet write in honor of the Spartans who died defending Athens?
“Go tell the Spartans, thou who passest by,
That here obedient to their laws we lie.”
