Persian War
- 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 in battle called the phalanx. Shield in one hand, spear in the other.
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
- Athens sent soldiers to help in the revolt
- Darius the Great defeated the revolt and then vowed to destroy Athens
- 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 fled. Persians lost 6000 men. Athenians only lost about 200.
Why Athenians won:
- using the new fighting formation called the phalanx
- Persians were not well trained in this type of land fighting
- Persians also wore very light armor compared to the Athenians
- Athenians were fighting on home soil.
Marathon
- Even though Athenians had won, the 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.
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 had once vowed.
Greek Issues
- the Greeks were very divided on how to handle the Persian situation. some fought with Persians.
Famous battle of Thermopylae
- A narrow mountain pass was the setting of this battle
- 7000 Greeks and 300 Spartans stood in the way of Xerxes and his huge army on this push to get to Athens
- Greeks held their ground for 3 days.
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 died including their King Leonidas
Lasting Effects of Spartan sacrifice
- Made a great impression on the Greeks
- Allowed the remaining Greeks to retreat and fight 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 as a 1/3 of this fleet was sunk.
Lasting effects of Persian War
- The Delian League was created (an alliance of Greek city-states to continue to push the Persians out of all Greece)
- Athenians was the head of the league and moved the HQ to Athens
- This gave the Athenians a lot of power and helped push them into their golden age.
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