Phoenicians
Why did Phoenician traders bring imports back to their homeland?
To obtain goods not available in Phoenicia and to support their trading economy.
What is the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers called?
Mesopotamia.
What is a standing army?
A permanent army of professional soldiers.
Define “import.”
Import: a good brought into a country from elsewhere.
Name three items the Phoenicians exported to other regions.
Metals, cloth, purple dye, fine jewelry and craftwork, salt, wine, olives, grain, etc.
Who built the world’s first empire in Mesopotamia and what strategy did he use to keep control?
Sargon (of Akkad); he conquered city-states, used Akkadian language, and appointed loyal Akkadians to important positions.
Name one military technology or tactic that helped the Assyrians create an empire.
Use of iron weapons, battering rams, cavalry, frequent wars — these military strengths helped Assyrians expand.
Define “export.”
Export: a good sent from one place to another for sale or trade.
How did Phoenician sailors become experts at navigation?
Because they spent a great deal of time sailing and trading across the Mediterranean and visited many ports, building experience.
What is cuneiform and why was the Phoenician alphabet considered simpler?
Cuneiform is a system of many complex symbols used in Mesopotamia; the Phoenician alphabet used only 22 letters making writing simpler to learn and adapt.
How did Darius change the Persian system of tribute and how did that help unify the empire?
Darius created a fairer tribute system based on provincial wealth, making taxation more consistent and stable, which helped unify the empire.
What does “cultural diffusion” mean? Give one Phoenician example.
Cultural diffusion: the spread of ideas and inventions between cultures; example: the Phoenician alphabet spreading to the Greeks.
Explain how Phoenician trading stations developed into colonies.
Traders set up trading stations that over time became permanent settlements and cities (colonies).
List two Sumerian advances that helped civilizations expand and explain how irrigation affected Sumer.
The wheel and bronze (among others); irrigation allowed desert areas to be farmed, increasing food supply and population growth.
What was the Royal Road and why was it important for the Persian Empire?
The Royal Road was a system of roads up to about 1500 miles long that united the Persian Empire and allowed faster communication and trade.
Define “cavalry” and “tribute.”
Cavalry: soldiers who fight on horseback.
Tribute: payments (taxes) from local governments to an emperor in exchange for local rule.
Describe one major way cultural diffusion preserved the Phoenician legacy and name the writing change the Greeks made that affected alphabets later.
Cultural diffusion spread ideas like the alphabet and shipbuilding; Greeks adopted the Phoenician alphabet and added vowels, influencing the Latin alphabet.
Describe the cause-and-effect sequence that led from Sargon's conquests to cultural diffusion back to other homelands.
Causes: city-state struggles, Sargon becomes king and conquers city-states, replaces language/government;
Effects: shared cultural traits, increased trade, Sargon's administration spreads Sumerian advances to other homelands.
Compare one similarity and one difference between Assyrian and Persian rule (use examples such as government structure, treatment of conquered peoples, or economy).
Similarity: both had strong armies and used cuneiform;
Difference: Assyrians were known for military conquest and brutality, while Persians often allowed local rule and built administrative systems (e.g., provinces, tribute, currency).
Explain how the Phoenician alphabet simplified writing compared to cuneiform or hieroglyphics.
The Phoenician alphabet used only 22 letters instead of many complex symbols, making it easier to learn and adapt to other languages; Greeks later added vowels.