OCR ANCIENT HISTORY OPTION 1: GREECE AND PERSIA UNIT 1: THE PERSIAN EMPIRE Key Topic Key topics Red Amber Green 559 Cyrusthe theunder Great risePersianEmpire of The The background and accession of Cyrus – 530 BC 530 the conquest of Lydia; the conquest of Babylon Cyrus’ attitude towards conquered peoples and his liberation of the Jews the construction of Pasargadae the circumstances of Cyrus’ death 530 Darius accession of the CambysesSmerdisand II, Cambyses’ conquest of Egypt – 522 522 BC Cambyses’ attitude towards the Egyptians and their culture the circumstances of Cambyses’ death Darius’ overthrow of Smerdis / Bardiya / Gaumata 522 GreatofreignDarius the The Darius’ pacification of the empire – 486 BC 486 including the restoration of control over Babylon construction of Susa, Persepolis and the Egyptian canal Persian expansion into the Aegean Sea the campaign in India the war with the Scythians Persian culture and religion under Darius Darius’ organisation and administration of the Persian Empire the Ionian Revolt, including its causes, course and consequences Persian relations with Athens prior to the revolt Mardonius’ expedition of 493–492 BC the expedition to Greece in 490 BC and its aftermath 486 Greeks the XerxesIand Death of Darius and accession of Xerxes – 465 BC 465 the suppression of revolts in Babylonia and Egypt the invasion of Greece, including Persian preparation, the journey to Greece, the battle of Thermopylae, the sack of Athens, the battle of Salamis; Persian military organisation and fighting techniques the completion of Darius’ building projects the Battle of Eurymedon and Plutarch’s ‘famous peace’ The Rise of the Persian Empire under Cyrus the Great 559-530BC Key places Near East __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Asia Minor __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ The Levant __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Egypt __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Mesopotamia __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Sardis __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Lydia __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Delphi __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Pasargade __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Key people Lydians __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Assyrians __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Babylonians __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Medes __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ The Jews __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ The Phoenicians __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Astyages __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Cyrus __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ The Sources Herodotus __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ The Cyrus Cylinder __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Nabonidus Chronicle __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Key words Oracle __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Tribute __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Cuneiform __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Paradaiza __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Practice questions 1. Do you think Cyrus was wise to support local traditions and present himself as a liberator? 2. What might have been the consequences of Cyrus’ liberation of Babylon for the peoples of Mesopotamia and beyond? 3. Describe the layout of the palace complex at Pasargadae. 4. How did Cyrus use art and architecture to promote a message of social and political change? 5. Describe what sort of a personality Cyrus would have had. 6. Describe the key groups of people involved in the politics of the Near East in the 6th Century BC 7. Describe Cyrus’ conquests of the Medes, the Lydian’s and the Babylonians 8. Name two major cities that Cyrus conquered Cambyses II, Smerdis and the accession of Darius 530–522 BC Key people Cambyses II __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Bardiya/Smerdis __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Amasis __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Apis Bull __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Prexaspes __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Magi __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Darius I __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Ahuramazda __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Key words Tyrant __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Pharoah __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Key sources Bisitun Inscription __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Practice questions 1. Describe the key events and achievements of Cambyses’ conquest of Egypt 2. The events surrounding Cambyses death 3. Explain how Darius came to the throne 4. Outline what we know about the final days of Cambyses 5. The story of the death of Cambyses relies on many unlikely coincidences. How much of it is believable? 6. Does Cambyses deserve to be thought of as a great conqueror like his father, or were his achievements much less significant? 7. In what ways did the sources present Cambyses in comparison to Cyrus? The reign of Darius the Great 522-486BC Key people Achamenes __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Scythians __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________