Download Cyrus the Great - Grade10AncientMedieval

Born: 521 BC
Died: Oct-485 BC
Executive summary: King
Born: 519 B.C.
Birthplace: Persia
Died: 465 B.C.
of Persia, 521-486 BC
Father of Xerxes
600-529 B.C.
• The founder of the Persian Empire
• The First Achaemenid Persian Emperor
• He expanded vastly and eventually conquered most
of southwest Asia and much of central Asia, From
Egypt and the Hellespont in the west to the Indus
River in the east, to create the largest empire the
world had yet seen.
• died in battle, fighting the Massagetae along the Syr
Darya in December 530 BC
• The First charter of human rights.
The Ionian Revolt, 499
• Ionian cities revolted against Persian rule; aided by Athens
• Revolt successful at first but eventually crushed by Persians, who then
turned to punishing the Athenians.
First Persian War, 490
• 490, Persian Emperor Darius sent small fleet across Aegean Sea to
punish Athens
• Landed at Marathon on coast of Attica
• Athenian army won Battle of Marathon with expert use of the hoplite
phalanx
• Persians left; stayed away for next 10 years.
• Second Persian War, 480-79
• 480, new Persian Emperor Xerxes sent much larger expedition under his personal
command across Hellespont into Greece
• Greek alliance (Hellenic League) led by Spartan King Leonidas met Persian force at
narrow pass at Thermopylae in northern Greece
• Battle of Thermopylae:
– Greeks held Persians off until they were betrayed and surrounded by the Persians
– Leonidas sent the whole Greek army away except for 300 Spartans
– They fought to the last man to delay the Persian advance
• Battle of Salamis
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Themistocles, an Athenian strategos, convinced the Athenians to evacuate Athens
Women and children went to mainland
Men took fleet of triremes to island of Salamis
Outnumbered Athenian fleet defeated Persian fleet at Battle of Salamis because of the
triremes’ superior speed and maneuverability
• Most of the surviving Persians returned to Persia; small remnant defeated by allied
army of Athens and Sparta at hoplite Battle of Plataea, 479
• Athens then formed Delian League with Aegean islands to defend against future
Persian invasion