Assyria and Persia

The Zoroastrians believe that

• Ahuramazda is an embodiment of the god of the sun disk, Aten

• it is possible to achieve paradise before the last judgment, if a person performs exceptionally good deeds.

• the supreme god, Ahuramazda, is a good spirit who is opposed by an evil spirit, Ahriman.

• the world was created by Ahriman, but now Ahuramazda controls it.

The word Zoroastrianism comes from

• the name of the prophet whose teachings are recorded in the sacred book of the religion.

• the name of the Persians' supreme god and creator.

• the name of the city where the religion first arose.

• the name of the emperor who was in power when the religion arose.

When the emperor Darius conquered Thrace,

• the Greeks immediately surrendered and became part of the empire too.

• the Persian empire became the largest the world had yet known.

• he put all the members of the ruling family of Thrace to death.

• he built a luxurious palace and lived there in splendor.

In the Persian empire, a system of well-maintained roads connected the various provinces, also known as

• satrapies.

• way stations.

• staging posts.

• city-states.

How was the Persian emperor Cyrus different from the Assyrian emperors?

• He was even more ruthless than the Assyrians.

• He did not care whether his empire ran efficiently.

• He was known to be cruel when he got angry.

• He had a reputation for being merciful and respectful to other civilizations.

In 539 B.C., Babylon fell to the

• the Chaldeans.

• the Hittites.

• the Persians.

• the Kushites.

What was the most famous feature of the city of Babylon after Nebuchadnezzar II made it the center of his empire?

• the library.

• the 70-foot-tall statue of the emperor.

• the Hanging Gardens.

• Nebuchadnezzar's palace.

When an Assyrian army approached an enemy city, it would most likely

• try to use guerrilla warfare against the citizens

• charge the city gates using horse-drawn chariots and iron spears.

• send a delegation of men into the city to try to negotiate a peaceful surrender.

• use battering rams and siege towers to destroy the walls surrounding the city.

At its height, the Assyrian empire was ruled by kings

• who spent most of their resources building magnificent temples and monuments to themselves.

• who claimed absolute power over their subjects.

• who only wanted to make comfortable lives for themselves.

• who sent and received lots of messages.

The Assyrian communication system was so efficient that a governor could send a message anywhere within the empire and receive a response within

• a week.

• three days.

• a month.

• two weeks.