Persian War:
New Technology
-during the dorian age, only the rich could afford to buy the bronze weapontry 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 in battle called the phalanx. -spear in one hand, shield in the other.
Start
-war between Greece and Persian Empire.
-first began in Ionia on the coast of Anatolia.
-Greeks were settled there, but Persians conquered it around 546bc.
-the ionian greeks revolted
-athens sent soldiers to help in the revolt.
-DARIUS THE GREAT defeted the revolt and vowed to destroy Athens.
War
-in 490 bc, the Persian fleet of 25000 men landed in an area called Marathon.
-10000 Athens meet them there.
-After several hours of fighting:
-Persians fled the battlefield.
-6000 Persian lives were lost
-200 or less Athenian lives were lost.
Why such a great victory?
-Athenians used phalanx, a new formation.
-Persians were not well trained in the type of land fighting.
-Persians wore very light armor compaired to that of the Athenians.
-Athenians were fighting on their homefield.
Marathon
-Even though Athenians had won, they left their city without much of an army.
-According to tradition, army leaders woud send a runner to alert Athens of the battle.
-Pheidippides was the runner.
-re ran 26 miles from Marathon to Athens.
-Persians tried quickly to attack Athens after their defeat, but the Athenians had already returned, so they fled once again.
Ten years later
-XERXES, Darius the great's son, had become the successor of the Persian army.
-he brought an enormous army with him to complete the job that his father vowed to do.
Greek Issues
-Greeks were divided on how to handle the Persian situation.
-Some city-states thought that they should fight them and defend their city.
-Some city-states thought that it wasn't worth it and that they should just allow them t burn it.
-Some even fought with the Persians.
Famous battle of Thermopylae
-narrow mountain pass was the setting.
-7000 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 Spartan, they stood up and defended for three days.
300
-a traitor went to Xerxes and informed him of a secret path around the path.
-Fearing defea, the Spartans fought the Persians so that the Greeks could flee to fight another day.
-all 300 were killed, including their king, Leonidas.
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.
-They were right, Xerxes watched 1/3 of his fleet sink, diminishing his army.
Lasting effects of the Persian War
-Delian League was created (un, united nations. city-states instead of countries)
-Athenians was the head of the league and moved the headquarters to Athens.
-this gave the Athenians a lot of power and helped puch them into their golden age.
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