1.2 The Persian Wars and Greek (Dis)unity OCR A Level Classical Civilisation

Darius

King of Persia, tried to invade Greece but failed

Xerxes

King of Persia, son of Darius, wanted to continue his father's legacy by successfully invading Greece and also didn't like the Athenians because of the Burning of Sardis

Burning of Sardis

498 BC, Athenians sent help during the Ionian revolt to help burn down Sardis and the Persians NOT happy

Mardonius

General of Persian army and advisor of Xerxes

Hoplite

Heavily armed foot soldier, ancient Greece, would fight in a Phalanx

Marathon

490 BC, land battle in which the Athenians and their allies defeated the Persians

Thermopylae

480 BC, land battle in a mountain pass where the Persians had a Pyrrhic victory

Salamis

480 BC, naval battle where the Greeks won against odds

Plataea

479 BC, last major battle of the Persian War where the Greeks defeated the Persians

Hippias

Tyrant of Athens, exiled in 510 BC and joined the Persians, went to the battle of Marathon

Hippias' omen at Marathon

(According to Herodotus) he lost a tooth and couldn't find it again which meant he wouldn't regain his city (Athens)

Datis

Persian general at the Battle of Marathon who took some of his troops back to the ship to sail to Athens

Artaphernes

Persian general left at Marathon with 12,000 soldiers

Parthenon frieze interpretation

Some think that it commemorates the 192 who died at Marathon as horsemen (Marathon important to Athenian identity because defending the new democracy)

Pheidippides

Runner who ran from Athens to Sparta to request aid, and from Marathon to Athens to deliver the message of the Persian defeat (then died from exhaustion)

Miltiades

Athenian general who defeated the Persians at Marathon in 490 BC

Hellespont

Long, narrow body of water between Europe and Asia, Xerxes tried to build bridge across it but the sea destroyed and he ordered it to be given 300 lashes

Persian troop numbers

Xerxes is said to have brought 5 million troops by Herodotus but it is more likely 200,000

Isthmus of Corinth

Where poleis met to discuss how they will respond to Persian invasion

What was decided when the poleis met?

Leadership of land army would be Sparta, navy leadership was given to Sparta instead of Athens who had most of the ships (Herodotus suggests they were jealous), penalties for medising states

Medise

To go over to the Persian side

Why did many poleis decide to medise?

States in the north didn't think they would be defended and the Persians had a large army

Vale of Tempe

Originally they wanted to defend it (10,000 hoplites) but they realised that there were other routes through Thessaly the Persians could go through so they withdrew further south (ended up at Thermopylae)

Leonidas

King of Sparta and hero of the battle of Thermopylae where he was killed by the Persians, only had a force of 7,000 with 300 Spartans, the rest of the Spartans were celebrating a religious festival and other states were at the Olympic games

Euboea

The Greeks had to defend the strait between this island and the mainland because there were land and naval army

Cape Sepias

The Persians suffered heavy losses when their ships were moored alongside each other here and a storm hit

Herodotus groups of poleis

Those who gave earth and water (submission token) were scared of Persian interference, those who didn't were scared to fight against a bigger force

Interpretation of Herodotus' account of the Persian wars

Some suggest that Herodotus' account of the war recasts the Greek victory over the Persians as an ideological victory of democracy over tyranny

Herodotus' opinion on Athens

He thought they were the saviours of Greece and supported Athens' decisions even though he thought it might be controversial

Oracle from Delphi in Persian wars

"terrifying oracles", Athens responded by demanding another one which then told them to trust the wooden walls (interpreted as boats/navy by Themistocles), Argives withdrew from fighting (Herodotus suspects medising)

Themistocles

Athenian statesman who led Athens to victory over the Persians, Herodotus portrays him as very intelligent and persuasive, convinced other leaders to stay at battles and threatened to have the Athenians leave and start a new city in Italy if others didn't fight at Salamis

Adeimantus

Corinthian Leader at the Battle of Salamis, was bribed by Themistocles to stay at Artemisium, argued and insulted Themistocles at Salamis

Eurybiades

Spartan who yielded leadership at Salamis to Themistocles, was bribed by Themistocles to stay at Artemisium, convinced by Themistocles to fight at Salamis (different points than the other Greeks)

Date of Battle of Salamis

September 20, 480 BC (supposedly, also believed Euripides could have been born on this day)

Athenian response to being asked to ally to Persia

"We are well aware the Mede is far more powerful than us [...]. Nevertheless, as lovers of freedom, we will defend ourselves as best as we can." "as long as the sun travels across the same path as it does now, we will never make any pact with Xerxes."

Athenian speech to Sparta

"we are Greek, we share the same blood, the same language, the same shrines of the gods and methods of sacrifice, the same customs; it would not be right for the Athenians to betray all of this"

Medised states (gave earth and water) according to Herodotus

Thessalians, Dolopes, Aenianes, Perhaebi, Locrians, Magnetes, Malians, Achaeans of Phthiopis, Thebans, all Boetians bar Plataea and Thespiae

States that gave troops to Persia according to Herodotus

Thracians, Paeonians, Eordi, Bottiaei, Chalcidians, Byrigi, Pierians, Macedonians, Perrhoebians, Enionians, Dolopes, Magnetes, Achaeans, coastal Thrace

States that fought at Thermopylae according to Herodotus

Sparta, Tegea, Mantinea, Orchomenus, Arcadia, Corinth, Phlius, Mycenae, Thespiae, Phocis, Thebes (Thebes is also listed as medised by Herodotus -- he thinks they secretly did it)

States that fought at Artemisium and Salamis according to Herodotus

Athens, Corinth, Megara, Chalchis, Aegina, Sicyon, Sparta, Epidaurus, Eretria, Troezen, Stura, Ceos, Opus

States that fought at Plataea according to Herodotus

Sparta, Tegea, Mantinea, Orchomenus, Arcadia, Corinth, Phlius, Mycenae, Thespiae, Phocis, Thebes (⬅states at Thermopylae), Potidaea, Sicyon, Epidaurus, Troezen, Lepreum, Tiryns, Hermion, Eretria, Styra, Chalcis, Ambraciots, Anactorians, Leucadians, Paleans, Aeginetans, Athens, Plataea, Megara