2.3 The Assyrian and Persian Empires

Which group of people had the world’s earliest cavalry?

• The Assyrians

• The Persians

• The Lagash

• The Akkadians

The ___ were the first to use iron weapons and chariots.

Who of the following is an Assyrian ruler?

• Ashurbanipal

• Nebuchadnezzar II

• Darius the Great

• Cyrus the Great

Which statements are true about Nebuchadnezzar II?

• He was the king of the old Babylonian Empire.

• He captured Jerusalem, destroyed the Jewish Temple, and exiled many Jews to Babylon.

• • He is remembered for his great building projects such as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

• He expanded his power as far west as Egypt.

• He expanded his power as far west as Europe.

Answer explanation

Which statement is untrue about Ashurbanipal?

• He made the city of Nineveh his capital.

• He built a library and filled it with cuneiform tablets.

• He was alive to see the fall of his once prosperous empire.

• Ashurbanipal kept the texts and the letters from Sumer and Babylonia on subjects such as law, literature, mathematics, and science in his library.

In 539 BCE, Babylon and the rest of the Mesopotamia fell under the control of the ___ Empire.

What is not true about Persia?

• Persia dominated much of southwestern Asia and sometimes even Egypt.

• Persia formed to the east of Mesopotamia in what is now Iran.

• Persians were once ruled by Medes.

• Persia is best known as a military state.

Answer explanation

Assyria is most well-known as a military state.

Who led the Persians to victory over the Medes and fought to create an even larger empire?

Which of the following statements are true about Cyrus the Great?

• • He treated the people he conquered with understanding and respect.

• • He forced the conquered people to abandon their own customs and religions.

• • He exiled the Jews.

• He is the father of Cambyses II

Answer explanation

• Cyrus treated the people he conquered with understanding and respect.

• He allowed them to keep their own customs and religions.

• He allowed the exiled Jews to return to their homeland and encouraged them to rebuild their temple.

Who took the Persian throne by force after the death of Cambyses II?