Persian Wars - Fact summaries

Ionian Revolt (499-493 BCE)

Triggered Persian Wars - Darius wanted revenge on Athenians for helping and burning Sardis (‘remember the Athenians’)

Campaign to capture Naxos fails and Aristagoras frightened of retribution from Persia so encouraged Greeks to revolt and retake Miletus asking lots of cities to help but only Athens and Eretria did, set Sardis on fire, sea battle and capture and sack of Miletus in 494 BCE ended uprising

• Greeks wanted freedom, Aristagoras wanted protection

Key Leaders:

• Aristagoras = tyrant of Miletus

• Artaphernes = brother of Darius, satrap of Lydia

• Histiaeus = former tyrant of Miletus, sent message tattoo on slaves head telling Aristagoras to revolt

Persian Victory:

• rebels disorganised

• no leadership

• no grand army

• Ps had numbers and good naval power

• only 2 Greek cities helped

Battle of Marathon (490 BCE)

Darius sent on 2nd expedition to punish Athens, Athens met at Marathon with Plataeon allies, nothing ahppened till ran at Persians, Ps broke through G centre but beaten on the wings, they wrapped around to prevent retreat, drove Persians back and captured 7 ships, rest sailed round Cape Sounion to try and beat Athenians to Athens, Ps retreated to Asia

Key leaders:

• Militiades = G leader, fought with Ps and said tried to plot against D, partook in Ionian revolt, fled to Athens were elected Strategos

Greek Victory:

• ran straight at Persians, had no cavalry or orders only Phalanx soldiers

• put strength in wings

• block off back to prevent retreat

• helped by Plataea

• Persians weak as only just arrived

Battle of Thermopylae (480 BCE)

X waited for 4 days to attack as convinced Gs would flee, Spartans would run away then attack when Bs celebrated, Epialtes betrayed Gs to give X info on the mountian pass, he then fled to Thessaly, Ps run into Hoplites guarding the ridge, Phocians move to retaliate but Ps already left as path now clear for them, P descent seen in entrails, some Gs stayed while others left, only Spartan poleis remained (Thebans by force and Thespians), Gs kept close formation and moved further into the pass to restrict, Bs suffered mass casualties, 2 of Xs brothers fell in battle over Leonidas’ body, Thebans surrendered when realised Gs losing

Key leaders:

• Leonidas = Spartan King

• Xerxes = Persian King

• Hidarnes = lead Persian flanking manouvre around the Greeks

Persian victory:

• Epialtes revealed mountain passage

• Greater numbers (although bottle neck did serve to even out a bit)

Battle of Artemisium (480 BCE)

chose to protect troops at Thermopylae form naval reinforcement, 271 ships total, Euboeans paid Themistocles to keep fighting to water, 200 P ships sailed round Euboaea to remain hidden and prevent G retreat, G sent few ships out to test B skills, Bs circled but Gs clumped sterns together and captured 30 ships, Bs that split all die in storm evening numbers, Gs reinforced by 53 Athenian ships, Bs worried of Xerxes wrath so launch crescent formation but all crash into each other, they two sides split and Ps take Artemisium but Gs already left

Key leaders:

• Thermistocles = 524-495, bribes and convinces Gs to stay, organised retreat and other manouvres, repsonsible for Athenians investing in navy when Archon in 493 BCE, maybe fought at Marathon, Athenian strategos and in command of navy for invasion of 480BCE, controversial figure as hero and key political figure for 2 decades then ostracised in 472-473 BCE

• Eurybiades = Spartan leader of navy as other city states refused to be under Athenian control

Reason for outcome:

• split apart because battle of Thermopylae ended and were only there to protect troops on the coast

• 200 Persian ships destroyed in storm

• technically a draw but if look in relation to Thermopylae then Persian victory

Battle of Salamis (480 BCE)

leaders arguing whether land or sea battle best, Bs begin to circle Salamis, T told Gs had no time to flee now so they all prepped for battle, Aeminias crashed into enemy ship and neither could escape so others came to help, majority of ships suffered damage, G fight orderly and disciplined, P fight disorganised (got stuck and crashed into each other) but spurred on by dread of Xerxes, Artemisia won great rep when chased by A ship and smashed into one of own ships sinking it (they thought it was enemy, all men died so no-one to refute), Ariteides took A hoplites to Psyttaleia and murdered all Ps stationed there, after battle wrecks pulled ashore on Salamis

Key leaders:

• Thermistocles = persuaded Athenians to evacuate, raised funds from former Archons to send to A people, united G forces with memories of Artemisium, tricked X by pretending to Media thus drawing Ps to them into the narrow strait, promoted naval building to Greek states

• Aristeides = warned T of the Persian movements

Greek victory:

• tricked the Persians

• organised and disciplined formation

• prevented Ps from landing reinforcements

Battle of Plataea (479 BCE)

Mardonius sent cavalry against the Gs inflciting much damage, As saw approaching and set up formation (69,700 troops), P suffered many casualties fighting over Masistius’ corpse, G forces deprived of water and harrassed by cavalry, decided to find new position with water and protection from cavalry so retreated to Plataea, moved at night so Ps didn’t see, Bs saw next morning and assumed had fled so went after them, Gs came to help but attacked by Mardonius so could not rescue, Spartan poleis has to defend, when Mardonius fell Bs started surrendering, Ps fled back to camp and built wooden stockade, Artabazus disagreed with M and rold his troops to follow only his command, when saw Ps fleeing he fled to Hellespont, Sight of Ps retreating prompted other Bs to flee and cavalry provided them cover along the flanks

Key leaders:

• Mardonius = P leader, relative of Xerxes, died

• Pausanius = G leader, Spartan, main leader

• Aristeides = lead Athenians

• Artabazus = lead Ps after M died, organised retreat

Greek Victory:

• Persians fleeing prompted other Bs to flee

• destroyed barriers after favourable omens

• moving to Plataea meant Ps had to advance up an incline

• Mardonius died

• Persians had light armour

• all Greeks knew phalanx formation

• LUCK!!!!!!!