The Persian War

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The Persian War
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Long Term Causes

• The expanding Persian Empire Persian dominance
  of the Greek city-states of Ionia.

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Persian Civilization (authoritarian more Near
East characteristics)
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Long-Term Causes

• Ionian Revolt of 499 494 BC
• Miletus revolts against Persian rule and seeks
  military support from the Greek city-states.
• Athens Eretria send 25 ships and sack a Persian
  command center (Sardis).

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Ionian Revolt 499-494 BC

• The Persian king Darius puts down the revolt in
  494 BC.

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Short-Term Causes

• Darius orders a punitive attack on Athens and
  Eretria in 490 BC. He sends 20,000 Persian
  soldiers by sea.

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The War

• 490 BC
• Eretria is burned its inhabitants are sent to
  Persia as slaves.
• Athens makes a plea for Greek unity! What is the
  response?
• The Athenians would fight the Persians alone.

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Battle of Marathon 490 BC

• The Athenian phalanx (under the command of the
  general Miltiades) defeated the Persian forces at
  the beach of Marathon.
• Note The story of Phaedippas

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Battle of Marathon
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The aftermath of Marathon

• The Athenian victory contributed to an incredible
  sense of patriotism (this will contribute to
  Athens Golden Age).
• With the prospect of a new Persian invasion on
  the horizon, the Athenians started to build a
  first-rate naval fleet (200 triremes) under the
  direction of Thermistocles.

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2nd Phase of the War 480-479 BC

• The Persian King Xerxes organizes a huge invasion
  of all of Greece in 480 BC. He will send over
  150,000 Persian troops and 600 warships on an
  attack from the north.

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Greek resistance

• Battle of Thermopylae (480 BC) Spartan defense
  of a narrow mountain pass buys the Greek fleet
  time as they inflict heavy losses on the Persian
  fleet.

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Battle of Salamis

• After Thermopylae, Athens was forced to flee its
  city. The army, navy, and Athenian population
  move to the island of Salamis.
• Xerxes army sacks Athens and prepares to move
  his fleet to Salamis.

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Battle of Salamis

• Thermistocles orders the Athenian navy to
  surprise attack the Persian navy in the Bay of
  Eleusis.
• The Persian navy is routed!

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Battle of Plataea

• In 479 BC, a Greek army defeated the Persians at
  Plataea. Xerxes is forced to withdraw from
  Greece.

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Short-Term Results

• The Greek poleis unified against a foreign
  invader.
• Greek military victory.
• Greek optimism was at an all-time high.
• This starts the Golden Age
• Formation of the Delian League.

The Parthenon construction started in
the years following the
Persian War victory.
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The Delian League

• The Delian League was formed as a naval
  confederacy (defensive alliance) aimed at
  liberating the Greek Ionian colonies from Persian
  control.
• Athens took the lead in organizing and leading
  the Delian League.

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The Delian League

• It will eventually lead to animosity between the
  city-states.
• Athens used the leagues money and ships to
  secure its commercial interests.
• It was ruthlessly administered by Athens.
• It becomes one of the causes of the Peloponnesian
  War.

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Long-Term Results

• Victory of Hellenic freedom over Persian
  despotism (authoritarian rule). This saved
  Western civilization as we know it.
• The Greeks will be unable to stay unified!