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 to arm himself and fight battles. also new formation was formed in battle called the phalanx.
Start of the Persian war
war between Greece and Persian empire, it first began in lonia on the coast of Anatolia. Greeks were settled there but persians conwuered it around 546bc.. the lonian greeks revolted, athens sent soldiers to help in the revolt, darus the great defeated the recoult and then vowed to destroy athens. in 490bc the persian fleet of 25000 men landed in an area called marathon. 10000 athenians meet them there after seceral hours of fighting persains fled the balltefield. 6000 persians died. 200 or less athenians were lost.
Why such a victory?
the Athenians were using this new fighting formation called the phalanx. the Persians were not well trained in this type of land fighting. the Persians also wore very light amor compared to that of the athenians. athenian would fighting on their homeland.
Marathon.
Even though Athenians had won they left their city without much of an army. According to tradition, army leaders would send a runner to alert athens of the battle. Pheidippides was that runner. He ran 26o miles from marathon to Athens.
Ten years later
Xerxes, Darius the greats son, had become the successor of the Persian army. he brought an enormous army with him to complete the job that his father once cowed.
Greek issues
the Greeks were very divided on how to handle the Persians situation. Some city states thought that they should fight them and defend their city of Athens. some city states thought it wasn't worth it, and they should just allow them to burn it. some even fought with the Persians
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