The Babylonian Empire was founded by King Hammurabi in 1792 BCE. Hammurabi united all the city-states of Mesopotamia and turned Babylon into one of the most powerful cities in the world. Hammurabi created a system of laws and oversaw many grand construction projects. He had complete control over his empire. The Persian Empire was founded by Cyrus the Great. In 559 BCE, Cyrus united the tribes of Persia and began to expand his empire into Mesopotamia. He created the largest empire the world had yet seen. Cyrus had complete power over his empire. However, because his empire was so large, he divided it into states that had some control over local decisions. Cyrus understood that he needed help maintaining control of his empire.

What do the two civilizations described in the passage have in common?

A. they are both absolute monarchies
B. they are both direct democracies
C. they are both constitutional monarchies
D. they are both representative democracies