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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