Download Persia Attacks the Greeks

Persia Attacks
the Greeks
Using illustrations from
National Geographic’s
Journey Across Time
Early Persia



Persia: civilization SW of what is today Iran
Early Persians were warriors and
nomads
Cyrus the Great
united Persians into
a powerful kingdom:
An empire larger than any yet seen in the world
Persia’s Empire



539 BC Cyrus’s Persian armies capture
Babylon in Mesopotamia
Then: Asia Minor
Syria
Canaan
Phoenician cities
Cyrus treats the subjects well.
Reminder Timeline
of Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia: Sumer
Ca 3,000 BC
Sargon & Akkadians Ca
2,340 BC
Hammurabi & Babylonians
Assyrians
Ca 1,800 BC
Ca 900 BC
Nebuchadnezzar & Chaldeans
Persians from NE capture
Ca 605
539 BC
Persia’s Empire


Cyrus’s merciful rule helped keep the growing
empire together.
They then continued to conquer:
Egypt
Western India
Thrace (region NE of Greece)
They built roads, including the
Royal Road from Asia Minor to
Susa (the capital of Persia).

The empire was then about the size of USA today
Reasons for the
Persian Wars




Greek colonization clashed with
Persians
By 500’s BC Persia controlled
Greek cities in Asia Minor
499 BC Greeks rebelled with
Athenian army support, but were
defeated
King Darius now decided Greeks
must be stopped from interfering
with the Persian Empire
The Battle of Marathon





490 BC Persian fleet of 20,000 soldiers landed
on plain of Marathon (close to Athens)
10,000 Athenian waited on hills
Persians waited, but grew impatient (began to
board ships to sail to Athens)
Athenians defeated the
Persians easily
Pheidippides; “Victory!”
Another Persian Strike





486 BC Darius son Xerxes became
emperor after Darius died:
Revenge against Athenians
480 BC launched invasion with
180,000 troops and thousands
of warships and supply vessels
Greeks joined forces
Athenian general, Themistocles plan
To have time to ready Greek fleet: 7,000 Greek soldiers
hold of Persians at Thermopylae (Hot Gates); a narrow
mountain pass
Another Persian Strike
Spartans especially brave incl. Leonidas (Tale of the 300)
 Gave enough time to allow Athens to assemble 200 ships
 Greeks attacked Persian
ships at straits of Salamis
& defeated the Persian fleet
Persian army still marched on: Athens
 Persians burned the city
 Now: Greeks more determined than ever….

The End of the Persian Empire






479 BC Greeks came together
Greeks crushed Persian army at Plataea (NW of Athens)
Persians retreated to Asia Minor
Persia: lose strength, internal problems incl. new
rulers raising taxes to pay for luxuries, as well as
royal families fighting, plots to kill kings/emperors
334 BC Alexander the Great invaded
330 BC last Persian emperor died and Alexander the
Great ruled