Download Unity - long essay

How important was unity to the Greek states in their victory over the
Persians?
Unity was crucial to the Greek victory in the two Persian Wars – particularly the Second,
which was a two year campaign. Without it they would never have been able to muster
sufficient forces to take on the might of Persia, nor continue resisting for the length of time
necessary to win. Even so, other factors were also crucial in the victory. The Greeks had
better equipment and tactics than the Persians, better leadership, a greater sense of
purpose, and had the advantage of Greece’s peculiar geography.
In the First Persian War, the Athenians were largely on their own against Darius’ army.
When they realized the Persians were disembarking their forces at Marathon, they
dispatched a runner to Sparta requesting assistance. The Spartans were in the middle of a
religious festival, so could not send help for another ten days. In the meantime, Miltiades
persuaded the Athenian Assembly to send troops to Marathon to block the two routes
leading south. He gathered what forces he could and hurried to face the invaders.
In the battle that followed, 10,000 Athenians and 1,000 Plataeans defeated Darius’ force.
Miltiades’ men then marched back to Athens to face the Persian naval flotilla, which then
chose to return to Asia Minor. By the time the Spartans arrived at Marathon, the war was
over. Greece had been saved by the Athenians and their general Miltiades.
The same would not be possible during the Second Persian War. This time the Persians
brought the largest army ever assembled, plus a fleet of many hundred ships. It would take
a united effort on the part of the Greeks to repulse them.
Mercifully, Athens had already made preparations for the Persian onslaught. Themistocles
had suspected that Darius’ invasion would not be the last, and that the new force, if it came,
would be much larger. Themistocles realised that the Greeks could not possibly muster
enough troops to defeat such a force on land. Their only chance was to cut off its supplies –
at sea. To this end, the persuaded the Athenian Assembly to construct a fleet of 200
triremes, financing the project with money from a silver mine in Attica.
When word arrived that Xerxes was indeed planning an invasion, the Spartans and
Athenians called on the other Greek states to resist. But achieving unity was no easy task.
Even before the Persians reached the mainland, half the Greek states had already
surrendered to them, fearing the consequences if they did not. Only the southern states
were determined to resist. In 481 BC, 31 of them agreed to put aside their disputes and
form the Hellenic League. Because of its military prowess, Sparta was given leadership. King
Leonidas would command the combined Greek army, and Eurybiades the navy. For the sake
of unity, the Athenian leader Themistocles agreed to serve under Eurybiades, even though
he had far more experience at sea and was supplying half the League’swarships.
The strategy the Hellenic League adopted involved use of its land and sea forces to stop
the Persian army from advancing down the coast of Greece. The army would block the
narrow pass at Thermopylae, while the navy would block the Straits of Skiathos. If the
Persian army and navy could be kept apart, the former would have to retreat once it ran
short of supplies.
This plan was very quickly brought undone, but not for lack of unity on the part of the
Greeks. In fact it was a lone traitor who told the Persians about the shepherd’s path around
the Greek position at Thermopylae, allowing Xerxes army to outflank Leonidas’ smaller
force. What the Spartan king did next, though, was of great significance. His last stand was
an inspiration to the rest of Greece, and proof that the Spartans would not desert their allies
in the Hellenic League.
The Greeks now retreated to Salamis, and debated what to do next. Eurybiades wanted to
sail for the Isthmus of Corinth, and defend it against attack. He regarded the straits at
Salamis as a death trap, but Themistocles saw differently. The Athenian general argued that
Salamis was the best place to make a stand, as the narrow strait would restrict the larger,
less manoeuvrable Persian ships and give the Greeks an advantage. He also argued that if
the Greeks won, the Persians would be unable to advance on the Peloponnese, as they
would have to force the Isthmus of Corinth, which by now was well defended.
Eurybiades refused to budge, prompting Themistocles to threaten the withdrawal of the
entire Athenian fleet – something that would leave Sparta undefended from the sea. Faced
with this prospect, Eurybiades relented. The unity of Greece was maintained.
The Persians now arrived at Salamis, and appeared to have all the advantages. Their ships
outnumbered those of the Greeks, and had them bottled up in the straits. He block any
retreat, Xerxes sent his Egyptian squadron around the south of Salamis. All he had to do was
wait till the Greeks emerged from their hideout, and his larger, more powerful navy could
destroy them.
Themistocles now used a clever trick to deceive Xerxes. He sent a trusted slave into the
Persian camp, claiming that the Greek navy was in disarray and was planning to abandon its
position. Xerxes believed the story, and ordered his fleet into the straits.
Expecting the Greek navy to be in retreat, the Persians were taken by surprise and
rammed by the Greeks. Many tried to escape, but their retreat was cut. They lost between
200 and 300 triremes. Xerxes then compounded the problem by executing some of the
captains of his fleet for cowardice. This incensed many of the other captains, and they sailed
their ships back to Egypt and Phoenicia. According to Olmstead it was this,as well as the
defeat at Salamis, that deprived Xerxes of his fleet and denied him the chance to invade the
Peloponnese.
Xerxes now returned to Asia Minor with the majority of his troops, leaving Mardonius and
a handpicked force to continue the war. Mardonius’ plan was simple: cause as much
mayhem as possible in Thessaly and Attica in the hope of splitting up the Hellenic League.
Yet despite the destruction and occupation of many cities, including Athens, he was unable
to achieve his aim. When he finally took on the Greek army at Plataea, his forces were
resoundingly beaten.
The Greeks achieved victory in the two Persian Wars for a variety of reasons: their
equipment was superior; their leadership was better; they had stronger sense of purpose
than the Persians; they also made better use of Greece’s peculiar geography. However,
these factors would have been insufficient had the Greeks not remained united. Herodotus
put it succinctly when he said that the Persians fought through fear of punishment, whereas
the Greeks fought to protect their homeland. This explains their impressive level of unity.