05 Persia, Greece, and the Hellenistic World Free Online FlashCards

What was a satrap in the Achaemenid Empire?

Satraps were provincial governors appointed under Darius I to help administer the empire.

What role did roads play in Darius I’s empire?

Darius I developed roads to carry communications across the empire.

How did Cyrus accommodate local traditions after taking Babylon?

After taking Babylon in 539 BCE, Cyrus presented himself as a traditional Babylonian ruler and restored temples.

What was the result of Greek victories at Salamis and Plataea?

Greek victories at Salamis and Plataea in 480–479 BCE checked Persian invasions but did not end Persian power.

What was a Greek polis?

A polis was an independent Greek city-state with its own government, laws, and civic religious cults.

How could Greeks share a culture yet remain politically divided?

Greeks shared language, festivals, and many religious traditions, but political authority generally remained with individual poleis.

Who could participate in Athenian democracy?

Eligible male citizens could participate directly in public decisions; women, enslaved people, and resident foreigners were excluded from citizenship.

What distinguished Sparta’s political system and civic life?

Sparta had an oligarchic system with two kings and governing councils, and organized civic life around military discipline.

What was a major consequence of the Peloponnesian War?

The Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta’s alliances lasted from 431 to 404 BCE and weakened the Greek city-states.

What did Philip II’s victory at Chaeronea establish?

In 338 BCE, Philip II of Macedon defeated Athens and Thebes at Chaeronea, bringing much of Greece under Macedonian dominance.

How far did Alexander’s conquests extend by 323 BCE?

Alexander invaded the Persian Empire in 334 BCE and, by his death in Babylon in 323 BCE, had conquered its central territories and campaigned as far as the Indus region.

Which three successor kingdoms followed Alexander’s empire?

After Alexander’s death, his commanders established successor kingdoms, including the Ptolemaic kingdom in Egypt, the Seleucid realm in western Asia, and the Antigonid kingdom in Macedon and Greece.