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 in battle called the phalanx
- phalanx - spear in one hand, shield in the other
Start of Persian War :
- war between greece and the persian empire
- it first began in Ionia on the coast of Anatolia
- greeks were settled there but persians conquered it around 546 BC
- the lonian greeks revolted - athens sent soldier to help in revolt. darius the great defeated the revolt and then vowed to destroy athens
War continues :
- 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 the battlefield. 6000 persian lives were lost. 200 or less athenians lives 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 armor compared to that of the athenians
- athenians were fighting on home land
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 26 miles from Marathon to athens
- persians tried to quickly attack athens after their defeat at marathon, but the athenians had already returned, so they fled 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 once vowed
Greek Issues :
- the greeks were very divided on how to handle the persian situations.
- - some city states thought that they should fight them and defend their city of athens
- - some city states thought it wasnt worth it, and they should just allow them to burn it
- - some even fought with the persians
Famous Battle of Thermoplylae
- 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 athens
- xerxes underestimated the greeks and spartans, however, the stood up for three days to them
300 :
- a traitor went o 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 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 as 1/3 of his fleet was sunk. truly diminishing his army
Lasting effects of persian war:
- the delian league was created. an alliance of greek city states to continue to push the persians all out of greece
- athenians was the head of the league and moved the headquarters to athens
- this gave the athenians a lot of power and helped them push them into their golden age
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