New technology-
rich could afford to buy the bronze weaponry and armor. iron replaced bronze and allowed the common man to be able to arm himself.
Start of the Persian War-
War between Greece and Persian Empire. It first began in Ionia on the coast of Anatolia. Greeks were settled there but Persians conquered it around 546 BC. The Ionian Greeks revolted.
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 fled the battlefield, 6,000 Persian lives were lost.
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 armor compared to the Athenians. Athenians were fighting on their homeland.
Battle of Marathon- 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 quickly attack Athens after their defeat at Marathon.
Xerxes, Darius the Great's son, had become the successor of the Persian army. He brought an enormous army with to complete the job that his father vowed.
The Greeks were very divided on how to handle the Persian 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. Fight with the Persians.
Battle of the Thermopylae- A narrow 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 underestimates the Greeks and Spartans, however, they stood up for three days to them.
300- A traitor went to Xerxes and informed him of a secret path around the pass. 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- 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. Greeks abandoned Athens, because they thought that fighting at sea was their best chance. They were right, Xerxes watched 1/3 of his fleet get sunk. Truly diminishing his army.
The Delian League was created. Athens was the head of the league and moved the headquarters to Athens. This gave the Athenians a lot of power and helped push them into their Golden age
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