Download The Persian Wars In 519 BC Darius I ascended the throne of

The Persian Wars
In 519 BC Darius I ascended the throne of the expanding empire of Persia. A group
of people called the Ionians, lived along the coast of Asia Minor. They were under Persian rule,
having been conquered by Emperor Cyrus (ruled 550-530 BC), and at this time were unhappy about thei
r conditions. In 499 BC Aristagoras, the leader Miletus, one of the city-states, organized a revolt
of all the rest of the city-states along the coast. Darius managed however, to subdue things in a f
ive-year campaign. After this long sought victory, Darius became bent on revenge against Athens, on
e of the few states outside the area that had helped the rebles. He appealed to Sparta to attack Ath
ens from behind, but the Spartans saw straight through his planned conquest of Greece and threw his
envoy in a well. The Persian army then landed at Marathon in 490 BC. The 10,000 Athenian infantry w
ere supported only by a small group of soldiers from Plataea (Sparta procrastinated because it was
in the middle of a festival), but nevertheless the Athenians defeated the Persian archers and caval
ry through a series of ingenious maneuvers. Darius died in 485 BC before his plans for another atte
mpt reached fruition, so it was left to his son Xerxes to fulfill his father's ambition of conquerin
g Greece. In 480 BC Xerxes gathered men from every nation of his far-flung empire and launched a coo
rdinated invasion by army and navy, the size of which the world had never seen. The historian Herodo
tus gave five million as the number of Persian soldiers. No doubt this was a gross exaggeration, but
it was obvious Xerxes intended to give the Greeks more than a bloody nose. The Persians dug a canal
near present-day Ierissos so that their navy could bypass the rough seas around the base of the Mt
. Athos peninsula (where they had been caught before). They also spanned the Hellespont with pontoo
n bridges for their army to march over. Some 30 city-states of central and southern Greece met in
Corinth to devise a common defense (others, including the oracle at Delphi, sided with the Persians
). They agreed on a combined army and navy under Spartan command, with the Athenian leader Themisto
kles providing the strategy. The Spartan king Leonidas led the army to the pass at Thermopylae, near
present-day Lamia, the main passage from northern into central Greece. This bottleneck was easy to
defend, and although the Greeks were greatly outnumbered they held the pass until a traitor showed
the Persians a way over the mountains. The Greeks were forced to retreat, but Leonidas, along with
300 of his Spartan elite troops, fought to the death. The fleet, which held off the Persian navy nor
th of Euboea (Evia), had no choice but to retreat as well. The Spartans and their Peloponnesian alli
es fell back on their second line of defense (an earthen wall across the Isthmus of Corinth), while
the Persians advanced upon Athens. Themistokles ordered his people to flee the city: the women and c
hildren to Salamis, the men to sea on the Athenian fleet. The Persians razed Attica and burned Athen
s to the ground. By skillful maneuvering, however, the Greek then ensnared the large Persian Ships
in the narrow waters off Salamis, where they became easy pickings for the agile Greek vessels. Xerx
es, who watched the defeat of his mighty fleet from the shore, returned to Persia in disgust, leavi
ng his general Mardonius to subdue Greece with the army. A year later, the Greeks under the Spartan
general Pausanias obliterated the Persian army at the Battle of Plataea. The Athenian navy sailed to
Asia Minor and destroyed what was left of the Persian fleet at Mykale, freeing the Ionian city-stat
es there from Persian rule.persian wars darius ascended throne expanding empire persia group people
called ionians lived along coast asia minor they were under persian rule having been conquered emper
or cyrus ruled this time were unhappy about their conditions aristagoras leader miletus city states
organized revolt rest city states along coast darius managed however subdue things five year campaig
n after this long sought victory darius became bent revenge against athens states outside area that
helped rebles appealed sparta attack athens from behind spartans straight through planned conquest g
reece threw envoy well persian army then landed marathon athenian infantry were supported only small
group soldiers from plataea sparta procrastinated because middle festival nevertheless athenians de
feated archers cavalry through series ingenious maneuvers died before plans another attempt reached
fruition left xerxes fulfill father ambition conquering greece xerxes gathered from every nation flu
ng empire launched coordinated invasion army navy size which world never seen historian herodotus ga
ve five million number soldiers doubt this gross exaggeration obvious xerxes intended give greeks mo
re than bloody nose persians canal near present ierissos that their navy could bypass rough seas aro
und base athos peninsula where they been caught before they also spanned hellespont with pontoon bri
dges their army march over some city central southern greece corinth devise common defense others in
cluding oracle delphi sided with persians agreed combined navy under spartan command with athenian l
eader themistokles providing strategy spartan king leonidas pass thermopylae near present lamia main
passage northern into central bottleneck easy defend although greeks greatly outnumbered held pass
until traitor showed persians over mountains greeks forced retreat leonidas along spartan elite troo
ps fought death fleet which held north euboea evia choice retreat well spartans peloponnesian allies
fell back second line defense earthen wall across isthmus corinth while advanced upon athens themis
tokles ordered people flee women children salamis athenian fleet razed attica burned ground skillful
maneuvering however greek then ensnared large ships narrow waters salamis where became easy picking
s agile greek vessels watched defeat mighty fleet shore returned persia disgust leaving general mard
onius subdue year later under general pausanias obliterated battle plataea sailed asia minor destroy
ed what left mykale freeing ionian there ruleEssay, essays, termpaper, term paper, termpapers, term
papers, book reports, study, college, thesis, dessertation, test answers, free research, book resear
ch, study help, download essay, download term papers