Flashcards
Xerxes: Administration and Kingship
Cards in this deck (11)
- 1List two reasons why Xerxes was qualified to become king.1. He was the governor, and his father's representative, in Babylon for 12 years.
2. Was the son of Darius I and the grandson of Cyrus the Great - therefore he had the most royal blood. - 2What was Herodotus' quote about Persian education for males?Persian males aged between 5-20 were taught "to ride, to use the bow, and to speak the truth."
- 3Name a source which depicts Xerxes as being Darius I's successor.Xerxes appears in reliefs in Persepolis, standing behind Darius I.
- 4Name two different historians, and their theories of how Xerxes became king.1. Herodotus - Deposed Spartan king, Demeratus, informed Darius I of Spartan customs, making Xerxes the new heir.
2. J.M Cook - Xerxes had a stronger claim than his brother, Artabazanes, because he had the most royal blood (Darius I and Cyrus the Great) - 5List four different aspects of the administration of the Persian empire.1. It was a hereditary monarchy
2. Rulers were the descendants of Achaemenes (forming the royal dynasty)
3. Ruled by the grace of Ahura Mazda
4. The Great King was not a god, but an absolute monarch - 6What are satraps, and what were their roles?Satraps are the governors of states controlled by the Persian empire (known as 'satrapies'). They had many responsibilities, including: collecting tribute, dispensing justice, raising military levies, and administering the economy.
- 7List one source regarding satraps.Herodotus wrote a 'nomoi' list of satrapal administration in 'The Histories'.
- 8What caused the Egyptian revolt, and how was it abolished?1. The Egyptians were encouraged by the Persian defeat at Marathon, and were provoked by the tax rise (used to finance the Greek invasion.)
2. Xerxes' brother, Archaemenes, was installed as a satrap, and the property of temples was confiscated. - 9What caused the Babylonian revolts, and how were they abolished?1. The first revolt was provoked by taxation and a loss of skilled workers. The other sparked after the murder of the Babylonian satrap.
2. Xerxes' brother-in-law, Megabyzus, was sent to crush the first. Xerxes had to abolish the second, in which Babylonians were severely punished (leaders were executed, the land was given to Persian nobles, and the Euphrates River was diverted to divide the city). - 10Which ancient historian described the Egyptian revolt, and what did they say?Herodotus described the confiscation of the Temple of Bute's land, and dubbed Xerxes as the "wicked man".
NOTE: Source is bias, as Herodotus only used Egyptian evidence for this, not Persian as well. - 11Which ancient historian described the Babylonian revolts, and what did they say?Ctesias stated that there were two revolts, in which the first one was repressed by Megabyzus, whilst the second was by Xerxes.
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- Secondary Ancient History (III - Personalities In Their Times: Xerxes) Flashcards on Xerxes: Administration and Kingship, created by Hunter Lynch on 26/06/2014.
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