New technology
-during the Dorian age, only the rich could really afford to buy the bronze weaponry and armor
-iron later replaced bronze and allowed the common man to be able are hisself and fight battles.
Start of the persian war
-war between Greese and Persian Empire
-it first began in lonia on the coast of anatolia
-Greeks were settled there but Persians conquered it around 546 BC
-Darius the Great defeated the revolt and then vowed to destroy Athens
War continues
-in 490 BC the Persian fleet of 25000 men landed in an area called Marathon
-10000 Athenians meet them there
-After several hours of fighting persians flead the battlefield
-6000 persians died
-200 or less Athens lives were lost
Why such a victory?
-The Athens were using this new fighting frmation called the phalanx
-The persians were not well trained in this type of land fighting
-the persians also wore very light armor.
Marathon
-Even though Athenians had won, they left their city withought much of an arm.
According to tradition, army leaders would send a runner to alert athens of the battle
-Pheidippides was that runner
-he ran 26 miles from Marathon to Athens
Ten years later
-Xarxes, Darius the Grats son had become the successor of the Persian army
-he brought an enourmous army with him to complete the job that his father once vowed
Greek issues
-The greaks were very divided on how to handle the persian situation
-some city-state thought that they should fight them and defend their city of Athen
-some city-states thought it wasn't worth it, and they should just allow them to burn it
-some even fought with the Persians.
Famouse battle of Thermopylae
-a narrow mountain pass was the setting ot this battle
-7000 greeks and 300 spartans stood in the was of xarxes
300
-a traitor went to xerxes and informed him of a secret path around the pass
-fearing defeat , the spartans fought the persians so the the greek could flee to fight another day
-all 300 were killed
Lasting effects of spartan sacrifice
-made a great impression on the Greeks
-Allowed the remaining Greeks to retreat and fight the Persians again
-showed xerxes what he was up against.
Battle of Salamis
-Greeks abandoned Athens, because they thought that fighting at sea was their best chance.
Lasting effects of the persian War
-The Delian League was created an alliance to push the persians out of Greese
-Athenians was the head of the league and moved the headquaters to Athens
-This gave the Atheinians a lot of power and helped push them into there golden age.
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