The Fertile Crescent

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The Greco-Persian Wars
499-479 B.C.
Lesson 3 Page 73 in your textbook
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Historical Sources
Herodotus, the main historical source for this
conflict
Thucydides continued Herodotus's narrative
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Causes of the Greco-Persian Wars
Guiding Question 1What caused a series of wars
between Greece and its rival, Persia?
Guiding Question 2 What did the Greek
city-states do to defend themselves against
Persian invaders?
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Where is Persia?
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The Challenge of Persia
As the Greeks colonized throughout the
Mediterranean, they came into conflict with the
Persian Empire to the east.
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The Challenge of Persia
By the mid-sixth century BC, the Persian Empire
controlled the Ionian Greek cities in western
Asia Minor.
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The Challenge of Persia
In 499 BC, these Ionian cities attempted a revolt
against the Persians and their ruler, Darius.
The Ionians were assisted by the Athenian Navy.
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The Challenge of Persia
The revolt was unsuccessful. In fact, it was
crushed rather quickly. But their attempt
prompted Darius to seek revenge.
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Revenge of Darius
Darius decided to punish Athens for helping the
colonies.
After training for a few years, Darius sent
troops to invade Greece.
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Call for Alliances
Athens asked Sparta to help, but Spartan troops
would not arrive for 9 days (they were in the
middle of religious festivals)
Other jealous city-states decided not to help
Athens against the Persian Empire
So Athens took on the mighty Persian Empire by
themselves
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Battle of Marathon
The Persian ships sailed to the Bay of Marathon,
only 26 miles from Athens.
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A Serious Mismatch
Persian troops100,000
Athenian troops20,000
Did Athens really have any hope against these
odds?
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Persian Soldiers
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Athenian Soldiers
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Victory!
The Athenian army was well-trained and did not
break formation as they charged the Persian lines
The organized charge surprised the large but
scattered (and poorly organized) Persian army
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A Slaughter
The Persian soldiers turned and ran from the
oncoming Athenians. The Athenian army almost
drove the Persians back to the sea
Final tally Persians6, 400 dead Athens192
dead Darius returned to Persia never to return
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Connection to the Past
The modern marathon has its roots in the Battle
of Marathon.
A Greek soldier, Phidippides, ran from Marathon
to Athens (26 miles) to tell the Athenians of the
Greek victory, and to warn them that the Persians
may try to attack.
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Connection to the Past
Phidippides died from exhaustion after delivering
his message. Todays 26 mile marathon races
commemorate his heroic act.
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Phidippides Arrival at Athens
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Bellringer Write a Paragraph
What were the main causes of the first war
between Greece and Persia?
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The Second Persian War
480 B.C.
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The Empire Strikes Back
After Darius died in 486 BC, Xerxes became the
new Persian emperor.
Xerxes promised revenge and planned to invade
Greece.
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Sparta joins the fight
In preparation for the attack, some of the Greek
states formed a defensive league under the
Spartans.
The Spartan league was led by Spartan warrior
king Leonidas.
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Athenian Strategy
The Athenians however, followed a new military
policy insisted on by Themistocles, one of the
Athenian military leaders.
This policy was to strengthen their navy. By the
time the Persians invaded in 480 BC, the
Athenians had a fleet of about 200 ships.
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The Persian Side
Xerxes led a massive invasion force into Greece.
His forces included about 180,000 troops, and
thousands of warships and supply vessels.
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Battle of Thermopylae
The Persian army lands in northern Greece
They were met by a force of Greeks at a narrow
mountain pass called Thermopylae
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Battle of Thermopylae
This small mountain pass controlled access to all
of Greece.
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Battle of Thermopylae
The Greeks tried to delay the Persians at
Thermopylae, along the main road to central
Greece.
A Greek force of about 7,000 held off the Persian
army for two days.
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300 Spartans
A group of 300 Spartans in the Greek army were
especially brave.
When told that Persian arrows would darken the
sky in battle, one Spartan responded Thats good
news, we will get to fight in the shade
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Primary Source
Here they (the Spartans) defended themselves to
the last, such as still had swords using them,
and the others resisting with their hands and
teeth till the barbarians who.now encircled
them upon every side, overwhelmed and buried the
remnant that was left beneath showers of missile
weapons. -Herodotus, The Persian Wars
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300 Spartans
A Greek traitor showed the Persians a secret
passageway. This allowed the Persians to sneak up
from behind and attack the Greeks
Most of the Greek defenders ran away, but the 300
Spartans fought until their deaths.
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Athens Burned
The Persians poured into Greece. They got their
revenge by burning Athens to the ground. What
were the Greeks to do?
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Battle of Salamis
As their city-state burned the Athenian people
and the army escaped to the island of Salamis.
The Persians were quick to follow.
The Athenian navy would play a key role in their
victory.
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Those Clever Athenians
When the Persians approached Salamis, the Greeks
ships first sailed from shore like they were
fleeing the island.
They then turned quickly around and began ramming
the Persian ships. Before the Persians knew what
had happened, half of their fleet was on the
ocean floor
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How did the Greeks do it?

• Three reasons
• Inherent advantage of the defender
• They were better soldiers
• They used the element of surprise

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Effects of the Persian Wars
1. Victory in the Persian Wars increased the
Greeks sense of their own uniqueness.
2. The gods, they felt, had protected their
superior form of government, the city state
(polis), against invaders from Asia.
3. Athens emerged from the war as the most
powerful city state in Greece.