In addition to the minting of coins such as the one shown above, rulers of classical civilizations most commonly used which of the following to advertise their political authority to their subjects?

(A) The construction of monumental architecture (B) The sponsorship of merchant activity (C) The creation of elaborate palace bureaucracies (D) The sponsorship of philosophers and religious thinkersExplanation: The rulers of classical societies often built huge monuments to reinforce their legitimacy and employ their subjects. Some states may have sponsored merchants, but not all of them, so eliminate (B). Some states did not create elaborate bureaucracies either, so eliminate (C). Some states did not patronize philosophers and religious thinkers, so eliminate (D). The answer is (A).