The Persian Wars Persia vs Greece How Did

The Persian Wars Persia vs. Greece

How Did the War Start? • Greeks start colonizing lands in Anatolia – Later Darius will conquer lands and add them to the Persian Empire • Greeks revolt and Athens sends ships to help – Vows to destroy the Greek nations • 490 BCE Darius sends 25000 soldiers to Greece – Lands at the city of Marathon – 26. 2 mi from Athens – Only 10000 Athenian soldiers fought – win battle • Used the phalanx as fighting practice • 6400 Persians lost, only 192 Athenians – Pheidippides runs back to warn city of attack • Persians boarded ships to attack the unguarded city of Athens • Pheidippides dies after warning – soldiers make it and defeat the Persian armies

The Phalanx • Fighting style of Greeks – A line or box of soldiers w/ spear and shield – Incredibly dangerous and effective style

Battles of Thermopylae and Salamis • 10 years later Persians attack Greece again – Led by Darius’ son – Xerxes and a massive army – Greece deeply divided at this point - easy attack for Xerxes • Battle of Thermopylae – Persians vs. 7000 Greeks (300 Spartans) • Greeks not willing to work together – Athens’ problem – Traitor shows Persians a secret path to other cities • Spartans stay to slow them, others retreat to protect cities • All 300 Spartans die – Thermopylae a loss for Greeks • Battle of Salamis – Persians make it to Athens – they decide to retreat • Want to make it a naval battle – not a land battle – Athenians defeat Persians with faster ships and sink the entire Persian fleet. – Xerxes and Persian given a devastating loss – but Athens had been destroyed as they planned to do

Consequences of the Persian Wars • Two wars in 15 years have huge impacts on Greece – Persians are no longer a threat to Greeks – Greek city-states have a new sense of confidence and freedom • Especially Athenians for the naval defeat • Alliances were created following the wars to provide guaranteed protection – Didn’t want to fight alone in next war • Alliances forced people to go to war if an ally did – Athens creates Delian League first, then Sparta creates the Peloponnesian League to compete • Eventually a huge burst of creativity and progress in Athens thanks to new freedom and money