Persian War
New technology- 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 in fighting battles, a new formation was formed in battle called the phalanx (spear in one hand, shield in the other).
Start of the war-b/w Greece and Persian Empire, began in Lonia on the coast of Anatolia, Greeks were settled there but Persians conquered it around 546BC, lonian Greeks revolted, Athens sent soldiers to help in the revolt, darius the great(of Persian Empire) defeated the revolt and then vowed to destroy Athens.
War continues-in 490BC, 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, 6000 Persian lives were lost, 200 or less Athenian lives were lost.
Victory-Athenians used phalanx, Persian weren’t well trained in land fighting, Persians wore very light armor compared to the Athenians, the Anthenians fought on their homeland.
Marathon-Athenians had won, they left their city without much of an army, according to tradition, army leaders would send a runner to alert Athen of the battle, Pheidippides was that runner, 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 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 once vowed.(to destroy Athens)
Greek issues-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 it, some even fought with the Persians.
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, xerxes underestimated the Greeks and Spartans, however, they stood up for three days to them.
300, a traitor wet 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 a third of his fleet was sunk, truly diminishing his army.
Lasting effects of Persian War, Delian league was created (an alliance of Greek city-states to continue to push the Persains out of all Greece), Athenians 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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