Download The Persians

Greece & the Persians
Chapter 4, Section 3
Herodotus: Greek historian who recorded the events of the Persian War; “historia”:
investigations (Greek)
The Persians
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Cyrus the Great united in 559 BC
Empire from India to Ionia
Many different people
Capital: Susa
Practiced Zoroastianism (monotheistic): good triumphs over evil
Darius (son of Cyrus) divided empire into Satrapies ruled by Satrap
Ionian Revolt 499-494BC
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Ionians revolt against Persians with the help of the Athenians
Burn Sardis (major trade post)
Darius wants revenge
Persian War 492-479BC
Marathon-August 490BC
 Darius seeks revenge against Athens
 Athenians are outnumbered 2 to 1
 Athenians waitPersians get impatient and try to sail south to attack AthensBegin to load
cavalry firstAthenians attack once cavalry are goneAthenians easily defeat Persians
 Pheidippides runs from Marathon to Athens (~26 miles) to report victory
 Themistocles, who fought at Marathon, warns the Athenians to prepare for Persians’ return
& build up navy
“Gates of Fire”/Thermopylae-August 480BC
 Persians return under Xerxes
 Persians build pontoon boats across Hellespont and invade by land and sea
 Athenian spy sees the Persians & forms coalition
 Spartans consult the Oracle at Delphi about fighting with the Athenians
 Spartans join coalition organized by Athenians; Persians arrive 3 months later
 Themistocles organizes defense
 Leonidas leads Spartans on the ground at Thermopylae; Athenian navy lead by Themistocles
 Spartans have better armor & weapons; use terrain to their advantage
 Immortals: special Persian forces cannot penetrate Spartan phalanx
 Spartans defend the Thermopylae pass for 2 days
 Ephialites betrays the Greeks & leads the Persians around the mountain
 Spartans are defeated & Persians march toward Athens