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 Western Asia : The Me do- Per siaii Empire 109 was weakness and decline, until the final fall of Persia and the surrender of political leadership of the Orient to the men of Europe, whose career in the eastern Mediterranean we must now take up. QUESTIONS Section 16. What is the extent of the northern grasslands? Trace them on the map on page 56. As a source of migrating popu- lation how do they resemble the southern grasslands ? Diagram the two racial lines, Indo-European and Semitic. What is the relation of these two lines in the history of the ancient world ? From which line are we descended ? Give some account of the Indo-European parent people. Discuss their dispersion. What proof of the relationship between their modern descendants still exists? Where are the two ends of the Indo-European line in the Old World now? of the Semitic line? Section 17. Locate the Aryan tribes on the map on page 80 (they are not marked) and give some account of them. Into what two groups did they separate ? What became of the eastern group ? Where did the western group settle ? What were its two leading peoples? What Indo-European people first invaded the fertile crescent, and when ? Who overthrew Assyria, and when ? Who was Zoroaster ? What did he teach ? Whom did he convert? What peoples adopted the religion he taught? What is the Avestal Section i 8. Who were the Persians ? Who was Cyrus ? Where did his people live ? Whom did he first conquer ? Where were his next great conquests? Describe Persian methods of fighting. What great ancient city did Cyrus finally conquer? What race then con- trolled the fertile crescent? What other ancient land did the soji of Cyrus conquer ? What was then the extent of the Persian Empire? Who organized it? Describe Persian rule. Where did the Persian kings live ? What was their character? Whither did Persian religion spread? Section 19. What kind of a life did the Hebrews originally lead and whence did they come? Where is Palestine? Whom did the Hebrews find there ? What was the final result of the Hebrew inva- sion? Tell the story of the Hebrew kingdom. Did it remain united?