Chapter 7, Section 3: Greece and Persia

Persia’s Empire Building the Empire (540 BCE) Persian Government Cyrus the Great conquers Mesopotamia, Syria, Judah, and Anatolia Royal Road links heart of empire Persian Government Divided into satrapies (provinces)

Persia’s Empire Zoroastrianism Founded by Zoroaster in 600 BCE Followers worship Ahura Mazda “Wise Lord” Duality between “good” and “evil”

First Persian War War Begins (490 BCE) Battle of Marathon Athenians support revolt in Anatolia Revolt crushed by Darius Darius sends fleet to attack Greece Battle of Marathon 10,000 Athenian soldiers against 20,000 Persian Soldiers Athenians won’t attack Persians Persians load cavalry onto ships to attack Athens Athenian army then attacks and destroys Persian army Greek victory

The Phalanx

Second Persian War War begins (480 BCE) Battle of Thermopylae Xerxes (son of Darius) swears revenge Persians send an army of 200,000 soldiers Greeks raise an army of 7,000 to defend Athens Battle of Thermopylae King Leonidas of Sparta leads Greek army Stalls the Persian army at a mountain pass Battle lasts three days Greeks betrayed by local who tells the Persians how to get around the mountains and attack the Greeks from behind

Second Persian War Athens attacked Battle of Salamis Persian army marches to Athens Themistocles ordered city abandoned Takes fleet of ships to island of Salamis Athens is burned by Persians Battle of Salamis Greeks lure Persian fleet to the island of Salamis Persians move large fleet up a narrow straight Smaller Greek fleet of triremes destroys Persian fleet Xerxes flees back to Persia

Greek Triremes

Second Persian War Persian Defeat Greek army fights remaining Persian army at Plataea (479 BCE) Persians defeated - peace eventually declared in 449 BCE Persia never fully recovers from war and begins a slow decline