Download Greek - Persian War Notes

Chapter 28 – Greek and Persian Wars
Issues:
1. There is no unit on Persian History in 6th grade – unfortunate.
2. Unify the Greek People for a time as one military force: When you attack a
divided region, it unifies under common threat.
Overview:
1. Battles of importance – Thermopoly (movie 300), Marathon, Salamis (Naval)
2. Persian Empire is not conquered until 323 BC by Alexander.
3. Greek peoples lived in Turkey, controlled by Persians – allies with the
Persians.
4. Athens and Sparta took turns allying themselves with the Persians against
each other until 323 BC.
5. Persians allowed the conquered to worship their own religion. Allowed
mixed marriage and free movement within the Empire.
6. Greeks were fighting for:
a. freedom of government
b. feeling of superiority – all foreigners are Barbarians
c. keeping their culture and people pure of foreign influence.
7. 546 BC Persian conquer Ionia (Turkish Greeks)
a. 499 BC the Ionians revolt – ask the Greeks for help.
b. 490 BC – Persian Invasion of Greece by Darius – defeated at the Battle
of Marathon by the Athenian Army w/o Sparta. Spartans only fight
after the full moon. term Marathon – Phidipedes – runner messenger
ran 300 miles, one part was 26.4 miles.
c. 480 BC – Persian invade by land – northern Greece – stopped by 300
Spartans at the mountain pass Thermopylae. Persian Army 180,000
men. Held the Persians off for 4 days.
i. Thermopylae became a war cry for all Greek to remember
bravery by.
d. Salamis 480 BC– Naval Battle between Greeks and Persians under
Xerxes. Destroys the Persian Fleet – that could have carried a Persian
Army to southern Greece. Persians lost 300 ships, Greeks lost 40.
e. Plataea – 479 BC, 80,000 Greeks led by Sparta defeat the Persians
after Athens is destroyed.
f. p 277 – map
g. What you need to know: Marathon, Salamis, Thermopylae, Persian
kings, City State in charge, type of battle.