Persian War
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 to arm himself and fight battles.
also a new formation was formed called phalanx
Persian War was between Greece and persian empire
The first battle began in Ionia an the coast of Anatolia
Greeks were settled there but the persians conquered it around 546 BC
Ionian Greeks revolted
Athens sent soldiers to revolt
Darius the Great defeated the revolt and then vowed to destroy Athens
War continues in 490 BC the Persian fleet of 25,000 men landed in an area called Marathon.
10,000 Athenians meet them there
After Several hours of fighting
Persians fleed the battle field.
6,000 persians died
200 or less Athenians died.
Athenians won because they were using the formation phalanx
Persians were not well trained on land
Persians were light armor
Athenians new the land.
Battle of Marathon- Athens won but 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 26 miles from marathon to Athens
Persians tried to attack Athens after the battle but had to fleed again.
Ten years later Xerxes, Darius the Great's son had become the persian army leader.
He brought an enormous army bigger than his dads and tried to destroy Athens.
The Greeks were very divided on how to handle the persian situation.
Some city states fought against some with and some just let them burn the city down.
Battle of Termopylae
A narrow mountain pass was the setting of this battle
7,000 Greeks and 300 Spartans stood in the way of Xerxes and his huge army on this push to get to Athens
Xerxes underestimated the Greeks and Spartans
300 - A traitor went to Xerxes and informed him of a secret path around the path
Fearing defeat, the Spartans fought the Persians so that the Greeks could flee to fight another day
All 300 were killed including Leonidas.
Lasting effects of the spartan sacrifice-
Made a great impression on the Greeks
Allowed the remaining Greeks to retreat and fight the persians again
Showed Xerses what he was up against.
Battle of Salamis -
Greeks abandoned Athens because they thought that fighting at sea was their best chance
They were right Xerxes watched as a 1/3 of this fleet was sunk. Diminishing his army.
Lasting effects of the Persian war- The Delian league was created- alliance of Greek city states to push persians out of all Greece
Athenians was the head of the league and moved the head quarters to Athens
This Gave Athenians a lot of power and helped push them into the golden age.
Comments