Download Persian War I

Persian War I
500-492 BCE
Persian War I
• 500 BCE Greek colonists
•
•
•
living in Asia Minor revolt
against the Persian
Empire.
Athenians help the
colonists revolt.
Darius, the Persian King,
is angry and wants to
punish Athens for helping
out.
He takes 5,000 troops by
boat to go crush Athens.
Persian War I
• On the way, a
storm destroys half
of Persia’s fleet.
• The other half sails
on to fight.
• They off load at
Marathon in 492
BCE.
Persian War I
• It is a swampy and
foggy place where
the Athenians can
easily attack.
• They run the
Persians all the
way back to the
boats.
Persian War I
• Nearly 2,000 are
killed.
• Darius is defeated
and angrily returns
to Persia.
• He vows revenge.
Persian War II
480 BCE
Persian War II
• Darius’s son,
Xerxes, led a huge
army to revenge
his father’s defeat
and conquer
Greece.
• Army is estimated
at over 150,000
men and 600 navy
ships.
Persian War II
• The Greeks realize they
•
•
must delay Xerxes as
long as possible to give
Athens more time to build
up navy.
They decide to send
forces north to
Thermopylae to sacrifice
themselves to give
Greece a chance.
Greeks forces are about
10,000 men.300 Spartans
Persian War II
• Xerxes was not at all
scared of the small Greek
army led by King
Leonidas of Sparta.
• Xerxes waited four days
for the Greeks to
surrender and then
launched a massive
attack.
• The Greeks retreated into
the narrow pass and
repeatedly defeated the
limited number of
soldiers, including the
elite immortals, who
entered.
Persian War II
• Unfortunately, a Greek
traitor named Ephilates,
told Xerxes how to get
around the pass.
• Leonidas learned of this
and told the Greek army
to retreat.
• To give them time,
Leonidas stayed with only
300 Spartans to hold the
pass.
• The Spartans fought
bravely until their death.
Even fighting with their
hands when their
weapons broke.
Persian War II
• Xerxes marches on to
•
Athens but no one is
there. He burns the
city.
Themistocles had
already fled the city
and prepared to fight
at Salamis with
prepared Athenian
navy.
Persian War II
• Greece defeats the
•
•
•
Persian fleet at
Salamis.
Xerxes returns to
Persia leaving army.
Persian army is
defeated at Plataea.
Ends danger of
Persian invasion.
Peloponnesian War
Sparta vs Athens
Peloponnesian War
• 431-405 BCE
• Sparta is jealous of
•
•
•
Athenian success with
Delian League.
They are at war, off
and on, for 27 years.
Athens has stronger
navy and Sparta has
stronger army.
Neither can get
advantage.
Peloponnesian War
• Sparta gets help from
•
•
Persian navy to block
Athen’s port and keep
Athens from getting
supplies.
Athens surrenders.
Both Athens and
Sparta (also all other
city-states) are now
too weak to defend
from future invasions.