The War with Persia

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The War with Persia

• As the Athenians expanded, they came into
  conflict with the Persian Empire.
• In 499BC, the Athenians helped cities under
  Persian control revolt.
• These revolts fail, but the Persian king, Darius,
  vowed revenge.
• Seeking payback, Persians landed outside of the
  city of Marathon in 490BC.
• Outnumbered Athenian army defeats the Persians.
• Pheidippides, ran the 26 miles from Marathon to
  Athens to deliver the news that the Athenians had
  won.

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Athens prepares for more

• Athenian leader Themistocles believed Persia
  would attack again.
• Athens built the largest navy in Greece, with 200
  triremes!
• Darius died four years later (486BC), and Xerxes,
  the new Persian king, vowed revenge and planned
  to invade Greece again.

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The Persian War Part II

• In 480BC the Persians invade Greece and head
  towards Athens.
• 150,000 men, 700 naval ships, and hundreds of
  supply ships.
• Athenians and Spartans put aside their
  differences and join forces.
• In both of their best interests.
• At Thermopylae, 9,000 Greeks (including 300
  Spartans) fight to hold off the Persian army.
• Spartans are ultimately defeated.

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Go tell the Spartans, thou who passest by,That
here, obedient to their laws, we lie.
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The Persian War Part II

• The Athenians evacuate Athens and retreat to
  island of Salamis.
• Persians sack and burn Athens.
• In early 479BC the united Greek army defeats the
  Persians at the Battle of Salamis.

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The Delian League

• After defeating Persia, Athens and Sparta form
  alliances to protect themselves from another
  Persian attack.
• Delian League
• Athens and its allies.
• Peloponnesian League
• Sparta and its allies.

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Athenian Imperialism

• Over time, Athens began to abuse the other
  city-states in the Delian league
• Pericles used Delian League money for Athenian
  building projects.
• Parthenon
• Athens sacked and burned smaller city-states that
  attempted to withdraw.
• Forced them to pay tribute.
• Claimed that the Persian threat is always near

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Peloponnesian War - Beginning

• In 431 B.C., Corinth and Megara are being
  threatened by Athens to join the Delian League.
• Members of the Peloponnesian League
• Sparta sends a message to Athens to back down,
  or else
• Remember
• Athens Strong navy.
• Sparta Strong army.
• What would you do?

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The exciting conclusion

• The Athenians, led by Pericles, decide to stay
  within the walls of their city and rely on their
  navy.
• The Spartans surround the city.
• Two years go by
• A plague breaks out in the overly crowded city.
• 1/3 die, including Pericles.
• War lasts for another 25 years.
• Finally, Athens surrenders when its navy is
  destroyed in 405BC.