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Persian Society at the Time of Darius and Xerxes

ANC-PER is worth about 25 marks out of 100 in recent HSC Ancient History papers. Practise 12 exam-style questions (multiple choice, short answer) with instant marking and a worked solution for every question.

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Topic notes

Persian society at the time of Darius and Xerxes — the empire and its sites, the king and his image, satraps and administration, the army, women in the Persepolis tablets, the economy, religion and royal burial, palace art and inscriptions, with how to answer the Section II question.

  1. 1What you need to know
  2. 2The evidence
  3. 3Context and sites
  4. 4Social structure and political organisation
  5. 5The economy
  6. 6Religion, death and burial
  7. 7Cultural and everyday life
  8. 8Common mistakes
  9. 9Exam tips
  10. 10Links to other topics
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Example questions

Example 1 · 1 mark · multiple choice

What was a satrap in the Persian Empire?

  1. AThe governor of a province of the empire
  2. BA priest who kept the sacred fire
  3. CA royal messenger on the Royal Road
  4. DA member of the Immortals, the royal guard

Example 2 · 1 mark · multiple choice

What is the main subject of Darius I's inscription and relief carved on the cliff at Behistun?

  1. AHis conversion to the worship of Ahuramazda
  2. BHis invasion of Greece and the burning of Athens
  3. CHis victories over Gaumata and the rebels
  4. DHis building of the palace and terrace at Persepolis

Example 3 · 1 mark · multiple choice

Source A — From the inscription on the tomb of Darius I at Naqsh-i Rustam, early 5th century BC (translated from the Old Persian)

‘By the favour of Ahuramazda I am of such a kind that I am a friend to what is right; I am not a friend to what is wrong. It is not my wish that the weak should be wronged by the strong, nor is it my wish that the strong should be wronged by the weak. What is right, that is my wish.’

Which statement best describes the purpose of Source A?

  1. ATo show the king as just and chosen by the god
  2. BTo record the laws of a particular satrapy
  3. CTo confess the king's mistakes before his death
  4. DTo announce that the weak would rule over the strong

Answers and worked solutions appear when you practise these questions.

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