The Persian Wars

Persia threatens Greece with

invasion
Ca. 6th century BCE
Persia: most powerful empire in area
Lydia had acted as a buffer between Persia and
Greece
in 546 BCE it attacked Persia and was easily
beaten by the new Persian king, Cyrus the Great
Greece is slower to become stable and
prosperous than other civilizations (Egypt,
Assyria, Babylonia, and especially Persia)
Greece is made up of independent city-states who
cant seem to get along or agree on anything
 ..but Greeks may be okay

Greek soldiers are supreme thanks

to Sparta
tactics and weapons are superior
(thank Lycurgus the Spartan!)
leaders are very good
 The Wars begin
559 BCE Persia conquers many of eastern
city-states
Ionia had surrendered, but later tries to revolt
against Persian oppressors
Athens sends 20 warships to help
revolt fails
490 BCE Persia has new king, Darius I
he vows to punish the Greeks (especially Athens)
for their resistance and interference in the Ionian
revolt
Heads for Attica, the area controlled by Athens
Three battles with Greece
 Battle of Marathon
490 BCE
Land battle NE of Athens on plain
9000 Athenians vs 20 000 Persians
Sparta cant make it for a week
Miltiades decided to attack without Spartas aid
while Darius has calvary on ships
Greeks attacked, Persians cant stand
against, get cut down as they run to ships
Huge Greek victory, few dead, Persians stay
away for 10 years
Runner brings news to Athen, drops dead
 Battle of Thermopylae
480 BCE

Land Battle, narrow pass in S Thessaly

4000 Greeks vs 200,000 Persians
Sparta has to defend the Hot Gates alone
until Athens can arrive
Local shepherd showed a way around the Gates
Persians flanked and attacked
Leonidas and his 300 bodyguard fought until
death
Persians marched to Athens, destroyed it
 Battle of Salamis
480 BCE

Sea battle, straits between Piraeus and

Salamis
300 Greek triremes vs 600 Persian ships
Swift, quick manoeuvring by the well-trained
Greeks destroyed the Persians
Xerxes flees and leaves Mardonius in charge
Tries to battle the Greeks at Plataea
killed and defeated
Greeks seize tons of booty, Persians never return
 Victory!
Ionian Greeks freed from Persian rule
Persian empire retreats from Greece
City-states are united as a whole...well, a for
a bit anyway...disintegrates because:
Persian threat gone (or reduced)
arguments over which is better = land or naval
forces
Sparta tries to run the show
Sparta and Athens are rivals, dont want one to
get ahead of the other
Sparta doesnt want Athens to rebuild its walls
Athens does it anyway
Delian and Peloponnesian Leagues are formed