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The Persian Wars
Persia
The Persian empire dominated the middle east
from the time of Cyrus II, 559 BC.
Each province, or satrap, while having some
independence owed allegiance to the Persian
King.
Heterogeneous population due to extent
Persian Military
• Lightly equipped with light armor and no
helmets. Equipped with bow, arrows, daggers,
and 5-6 ft spears.
• Believed strength in numbers not weapons
• Objective: archers break the enemy’s lines
with the infantry and cavalry to clean up.
Major Rulers of Persia during
Persian Wars
Cyrus II 559-530 BC
Lydian king, Croesus, attempted to invade Persia prompting
Persia to take over the Ionian colonies
Darius 522-486 BC
Extended the empire east to the Indus River Valley
The Greeks sought his protection against Sparta after Sparta had
attempted an oligarchy
Began Persian Wars in 490
Battle of Marathon.
Xerxes 486-465 BC
Raised on hatred of Greeks
Thermopylae, Plataea, and Salamis
The extent of the Persian
Empire at the time of
Xerxes.
Ionian Revolt
546 BC The Persians, under Cyrus II,
conquered Ionia.
Placed puppet-tyrants in the poleis
499 BC Miletus and surrounding Ionian citystates attempt to throw off Persian rule
Sent to Athens and Eretria for support.
Athens sent 25 triremes and burned Sardis.
(Sparta refused help)
494 BC Persia destroys Miletus, Athens
burns Sardis, and Athens leaves
Athens is still considered a supplicant of
Persia after petitioning Persia for help after
Sparta installed the Oligarchy of 300.
Persian Response
• 492 BC Persia subjugates Thrace and
Macedonia as it attempts to seek revenge on
Athens and Eretria.
•
Darius gave Athens and Sparta option to
surrender.
•
Petitioned them for earth and water once again.
This time they refused.
•
Athens responded by tossing them into a crack in the
acropolis and the Spartans by throwing them in a well.
Major Battles
Marathon
Plataea
Thermopylae
Salamis
Marathon
490 BC Persia lands at
Marathon
Phidippides runs 140 miles
to Sparta for help-then
runs back
Persia meets Athens and
is defeated
Soldier runs home 26 miles
to Athens
Persia returns home to
regroup
The initial set up of the forces. Note that the Persians have their
backs to the water and that the Athenians have stronger flanks
and a weaker center.
The double envelopment.
The actual helmet worn by the Athenian general Miltiades at the
battle of Marathon.
10 Year Hiatus
Army generals rise in importance in
Athens and the archons lose
importance
Themistocles persuades Athens to build
navy of 200 triremes
Battle of Thermopylae:
Revenge
480 BC Xerxes
sends out a land
contingent and a
sea contingent
To block the army a
stand was made at
Thermopylae
Sparta defeated and
Persia burns Athens
Salamis
Themistocles used an
oracle to convince the
Athenians to have a
naval battle
The Athenians used
their triremes to lure the
much larger Persian
fleet into the choppy
straights at Salamis
Plataea
479 BC Final battle
between the Spartans
and the Persians
Ended the Persian threat
The Persian Wars
increased Athenian
prestige and would lead
to a conflict between the
city-states called the
Peloponnesian War