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Greco-Persian Wars, 499-479 BCE
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Background
Ionian Revolts
First Persian Invasion & Marathon
Rise of Themistocles & the Athenian Navy
Second Persian Invasion: Thermopylae & Salamis
Legacies
Background to the Conflict
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Main source for Greco-Persian Wars is Herodotus.
Thucydides built on this. Plutarch claimed Herodotus was
"Philobarbaros“. No Persian records.
After collapse of Mycenaean civilisasation , many Greeks
fled to Ionia. These Greek “colonies” were more or less
united under Lydian rule.
On the eve of the Greco-Persian wars, Ionian population had
become discontented and rebellious
…Meanwhile in Athens, Cleisthenic democracy insecure. Fear of
treason, tyranny, Spartans, and neighbors. So Cleisthenes asks for
alliance with Persia. Persians ask for “earth and water” in return.
Ionian Revolt, 499-493
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Cyrus sent messages to the Ionians demanding revolt
against Lydian rule. Ionians refused. Cyrus
invades—Phocea 1st.
Ionian Greeks hard to rule. So Persia est. a tyrant in
each Ionian city. But tyranny declining in Greece.
Darius the Great more invasive than Cyrus.
Ionians captured, and burnt Sardis. On their return
home, they were followed by Persian troops, and
crushed at the Battle of Ephesus
Ionian Revolt, 499-493
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Miletus rebels. Athens supports them w/ 20 ships. Persians
defeat them at Battle of Lade (494) Besieged, captured, and
enslaved Miletians. Why does Athens get involved?
 They are Ionians
 Persia has been unfriendly
 Athens dependent on trade (esp. grain trade)
 Glory…
Asia Minor returned to Persian control. But Darius vowed to
punish Athens for supporting revolts
In 492, Darius sent ambassadors to major Greek cities,
demanding their submission. Does not go to Athens or Sparta.
First Invasion of Greece: Motivations
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Punish the rebels
Restore Hippeas (he would be a Persian satrap)
Conquer and tax Greece
Control Athenian trade
Glory
First Invasion of Greece: Battle of Marathon
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Persian fleet headed down coast of Attica, landing at bay of Marathon, 26
miles from Athens (Phydippedes runs to Athens to ask for help…3hrs.
Then died.)
Sparta amidst a religious ceremony. Promised help later…
Herodotus records that 6,400 Persian bodies were counted on the
battlefield; Athenians lost only 192 men. Spartans show up the next day!
Significance
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Persians CAN be beaten
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Victory for democracy and freedom
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Pride and glory
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No victory at Marathon, no Socrates, Sophocles, Eurpides…
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The Marathonomachai saved Western Civ (?)
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War accomplishes great things (?)
Rise of Themistocles
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General (strategos) of his tribe
in 490 BCE; commanded
center of Athenian army at
Marathon
Elected archon in 493/92 BCE
Rival politicians ostracized:
Miltiades, Hipparchus,
Megacles the Alcmaeonid,
Xanthippus (father of
Pericles), Aristides
Rise of Themistocles: Athenian Navy Debate
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Debate in Athenian Assembly
 New wealth from Larium mines…
 Aristides: strengthen hoplite army (zeugitai)
 Themistocles: strengthen navy (thetes)
 Build port of Piraeus
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Overture to Thetes
 Aristides ostracized in 482 BCE
 New political importance of thetes as rowers…
Themistocles and Athenian Naval Power
Before this, Themistocles’ judgment had proved the best at an important
moment; it was when the commonality of Athens had received great sums
that came to them from the mines at Laurium, and they were disposed to
share them out, with each citizen getting ten drachmas apiece. It was then
that Themistocles persuaded the Athenians to abandon this distribution
and make instead, with this money, two hundred ships “for the war,” he
said, naming the war against the Aeginetans. It was indeed their
engagement in this war, just then, that saved Greece, for it compelled the
Athenians to become men of the sea. These ships were not used for the
purpose for which they were built, but they were there for Greece at the
moment of need.
-Herodotus, 7.144
Athenian Trireme
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120 ft. x 15 ft.
170 rowers
Fast and agile
Ramming tactics
Rise of Themistocles: Foresight
Now the rest of his countrymen thought that
the defeat of the barbarians at Marathon was
the end of the war; but Themistocles thought it
to be only the beginning of greater contests, and
for these he anointed himself, as it were, to be
the champion of all Greece, and put his polis
into training, because, while it was yet far off,
he expected the evil that was to come.
- Plutarch, Life of Themistocles, 3.4
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Second Persian Invasion (480-479 BCE)
Darius dies in 486
Xerxes constructs an armada– a “boatbridge” spanning Hellespont
481, Greek League (Hellenic League)
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Defensive Alliance
31 Greek states
Led by Sparta and Athens
Battle of Thermopylae, 480
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Xerxes's arrived during Olympic Games. For Spartans,
warfare during Olympics was sacrilegious. But Spartans
considered the threat so grave that they dispatched King
Leonidas I with his personal bodyguards (The Hippeis) of
300 men + Allied forces.
Persian contingents forced to attack Greek phalanx head on
Pass at Thermopylae was opened to the Persian army
according to Herodotus, at the cost to the Persians of up to
20,000 fatalities
Xerxes beheads and impales corpse of Leonidas!
Battle of Thermopylae, 480
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Following Thermopylae, the Persian army burned and sacked
the Boeotian cities which had not submitted to the Persians
Arguably most famous battle in European ancient history.
Greeks lauded for their performance in battle. Thermopylae
as inspiration for the ages.
Military defeat; moral victory
Thermopylae was a Pyrrhic victory for Persians
Xerxes’ Route
Thermopylae (August, 480 BCE)
Battle at Salamis (September, 480 BCE)
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Victory at Thermopylae = Boeotia fell to Xerxes; left Attica open to invasion
Athens evacuated, with the aid of Allied fleet, to Salamis. Athens fell to Persians
The Persians had now captured much of Greece. But needed to capture navy.
Destruction of some of Persian fleet in battle and storm at Artemisium
Peloponnesians fortify Isthmus of Corinth
“Eurybiades presented the proposition that anyone who pleased should declare
where, among the territories of which the Greeks were masters, would be the most
suitable place to fight their sea battle; for Attica was at this point given up for lost;
it was about the rest that he inquired. The most of the opinions of those who spoke
agreed that they should sail to the Isthmus and fight for the Peloponnesus; the
reason they produced for this was that, if they were beaten in the sea fight and were
at Salamis, they would be beleaguered in an island where no help could show up for
their rescue; but if they fought off the Isthmus, they could put into a coastline that
was their own.” (Herodotus, 8.49)
Aftermath of Salamis: Battle of Plataea, 479
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Persian army under Mardonius winters in Greece
Plataea on border between Attica and Boeotia
Spartan king, Pausanias, in high command
Spartans & Athenians cooperate
Greek army won a decisive victory, destroying
much of the Persian army and ending the
invasion of Greece
Perceived as Spartan victory
“Themistocles Decree” from Troezen
The Gods
Resolved by the Council and People
Themistocles, son of Neocles, of Phrearri, made the motion to entrust the
city to Athena the mistress of Athens and to all the other gods to guard and
defend from the Barbarian for the sake of the land. The Athenians
themselves and the foreigners who live in Athens are to send their children
and women to safety in Troezen, their protector being Pittheus, the
founding hero of the land. They are to send the old men and their movable
possessions to safety on Salamis. The treasurers and priestesses are to
remain on the acropolis guarding the property of the gods.
All the other Athenians and foreigners of military age are to embark on the
200 ships that are ready and defend against the Barbarian for the sake of
their own freedom and that of the rest of the Greeks, along with the
Spartans, the Corinthians, the Aeginetans, and all others who wish to share
in the danger.
“Themistocles Decree” from Troezen
Text of Third Century BCE
May be copy of original of 480 BCE
Discovered in 1959
Legacy to Greco-Persian Wars
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Greek nationalism
1st great Pan-Hellenic Activity
Ionians renew rebellion against Persia.
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Persians lose control of Asia Minor coast
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Expeditions of Cimon against Persia (ca. 470-460)
Athenian Hegemony
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Athenian naval supremacy
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Cold War ensues b/w Athens and Sparta for 20 years
Athenian Wall
Themistocles as Hero: Stood up to Persians and to Spartans
Persians suffered a major blow to their prestige and morale
We know that Persian threat was over. They didn’t.
Philosophy, science, freedom, and democracy
Legacy to Greco-Persian Wars: Delian League est. 478
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Hegemony by invitation
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Synod – 1 state/1 vote
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All members pay taxes. Treasury at Delos…moved
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Navy is all Athenian
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Athens will lead all battles
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Like NATO
Is this Athenian Imperialism?
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Yes
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Athens is 1st among equals
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465 – rebellion in Thasos → Athens tightens grip
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No
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smaller states wanted protection
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Synod
Concluding Discussion
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What were the causes of the Persian Wars?
 How and why did Ionians revolt? What impacts did these
revolts have?
Evaluate the significance of the Battles of:
 Marathon
 Thermopylae
 Salamis/Plataea
Assess the role of Themistocles.
Discuss the legacy of the Persian Wars. Why does this war
matter?
How did the Persian Wars shift the balance of power in
Greece?