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Test: (W.H.) Unit 2, Lesson 8

Total questions: 25

Worksheet time: 6hrs 15mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

How many of the ancient Persian empires were founded by Persians? Select the letter next to the best answer.

a)

two

b)

three

c)

four

d)

five

2.

Emperors of ancient Persia needed to establish __________ to overcome the challenges of ruling over their subject states.

a)

their legitimacy

b)

a usurper

c)

their tolerance

d)

a conspiracy

3.

What is one reason there is limited access to written records about ancient Persia?

a)

Ancient Persia relied largely on oral history.

b)

Scholars have been unable to translate ancient Persian texts.

c)

Later conquerors of Persia worked to destroy most records.

d)

Written records have been lost mainly to natural disasters.

4.

Which statement is true of modern understanding and knowledge of ancient Persia?

a)

It includes little on the Greco-Macedonian empires.

b)

It reflects only the work of Western scholars.

c)

It changes continually to reflect new findings.

d)

It comes from oral histories passed down over centuries.

5.

Identify the order in which the five ancient Persian empires occurred.

a)

Achaemenid, Seleukid, Alexander the Great, Sasanian, Arsacid

b)

Alexander the Great, Seleukid, Achaemenid, Arsacid, Sasanian

c)

Arsacid, Sasanian, Alexander the Great, Seleukid, Achaemenid

d)

Achaemenid, Alexander the Great, Seleukid, Arsacid, Sasanian

6.

The Persepolis Fortification and Treasure Tablets have been important in providing information about

a)

government during the Achaemenid Empire.

b)

ancient Iranic religion during the Seleukid Empire.

c)

Greek influence during the Arsacid Empire.

d)

business and trade during the Sasanian Empire.

7.

Much of our knowledge of ancient Persia has come from the works of outsiders, mostly Greeks. Why might these works not be entirely reliable?

a)

The writers had little first-hand knowledge of ancient Persia.

b)

The writers aimed to entertain rather than educate.

c)

The writers recounted history only through poetry.

d)

The writers were biased against Persians.

8.

Historians believe that the first ancient Persian empire began to emerge after

a)

The Medes failed to defeat Assyria.

b)

Teispes sacked the city of Susa.

c)

Cyrus the Great proclaimed himself king.

d)

The Elamite kingdom faded.

9.

How did Cyrus the Great establish the Achaemenid Empire?

a)

By conquering kingdoms including Babylon and Egypt

b)

By revolting against the Assyrians and Babylonians

c)

By defeating the Greek city-states in the Peloponnesian Wars

d)

By receiving military support from Philip of Macedonia

10.

Scholars disagree on the role of Darius I in the founding of the Achaemenid Empire, but he is considered the one who

a)

usurped the throne of Achaemenes.

b)

named it by claiming to be a descendant of Achaemenes.

c)

expanded it by conquering more territory than other leaders.

d)

founded ancient Persia.

11.

On the Cyrus Cylinder, why did Cyrus honor the Babylonian god Marduk to tell the story of his conquest of Babylon?

a)

to confirm his power over the Babylonian subject state

b)

to prove his belief in Babylonian religion

c)

to show support for the autonomy of Babylon

d)

to demonstrate his legitimacy as a leader of Babylon

12.

What do the ancient Persian empires founded by Alexander the Great and by Seleukid Nicator I have in common?

a)

They are considered extensions of the Achaemenid Empire.

b)

They lasted for over several hundred years.

c)

They conquered most of the Arabian Peninsula.

d)

They are considered Greco-Macedonian empires.

13.

The Arsacid Empire was founded as a result of the Arsacids

a)

defeating the Seleukids to gain independence.

b)

settling into a sedentary life based on farming.

c)

rebelling against the Sasanian Empire.

d)

conquering Media and Babylon.

14.

How do we know that the Sasanians were influenced by the Achaemenid Empire?

a)

Herodotus wrote of the similarities between the empires.

b)

They used similar types of royal inscriptions.

c)

They claimed to be descended from the Achaemenids.

d)

Adashir named the capital city Achaemenia.

15.

How did the kings of ancient Persian empires benefit from the satrap system?

a)

The system prevented invasions in regions far from the center of power.

b)

The system enabled the king to maintain control over the empire.

c)

The system helped make Persian the dominant language.

d)

The system kept the kingship stable in each empire.

16.

How did the Sasanian Empire differ from earlier Persian-led empires?

a)

It lacked tolerance toward people who did not practice Zoroastrianism.

b)

It enforced Middle Persian as the only language of government.

c)

It limited Greek cultural influences by banning the use of the Greek language.

d)

It replaced the satrap system by making the king’s relatives governors.

17.

How big was the Achaemenid Empire?

a)

It was smaller than the modern-day country of Ireland.

b)

It included the countries of England, France, Spain, and Poland.

c)

It was approximately as large as the state of Florida.

d)

It included more than 20 modern-day countries.

18.

How did the Achaemenid Empire and later empires communicate across such a vast territory?

a)

They used a messenger service called pirradzis.

b)

They used the early version of the telephone.

c)

They used carrier pigeons to take notes back and forth.

d)

They weren't able to communicate across their vast territory.

19.

a person without a legitimate claim to rule, who becomes ruler by force

a)

pharaoh

b)

usurper

c)

satrap

d)

king

20.

ruler of the “countries” of ancient Persia, who answered to the king

a)

satrap

b)

archbishop

c)

senator

d)

parma

21.

lingua franca

a)

a language shared by people who have different native languages

b)

a language used by natives of France and surrounding nations

c)

a language that is open and honest, with little allowance for falsehoods

d)

a language used by nations to communicate with each other

22.

legitimacy

a)

a domain that has been conquered by the central state

b)

the right or lawfulness of a ruler's claim to rule

c)

the people who perform the work of the government

d)

an ecosystem with dry grasslands and no forests

23.

administration

a)

the people who live on the steppes of Eurasia

b)

the people who offer tributes and maintain peace

c)

the people who become rulers by force

d)

the people who perform the work of the government

24.

receiving little or no precipitation; dry

a)

parliament

b)

arid

c)

lamassu

d)

script

25.

tolerance

a)

allowing the practice of religions or cultures other than one's own

b)

not allowing the practice of religions or cultures other than one's own

c)

playing a role in the practice of a religion

d)

not playing a role in the practice of a religion