1.  While the Greek poleis were struggling to create workable governments, a rich and powerful state was taking shape in Western Asia.  With the extensive conquests of Cyrus II (559- 530 BC) and his son Cambyses (530-522), virtually the entire Middle East was under the control of Persia.  Organized in “satrapies”, provinces, the Persian Empire incorporated a staggering number of peoples, speaking numerous languages and worshipping different gods.  Among those controlled by the Persian king Darius I (521-486) were Greeks living in Ionia in western Asia Minor.

3.  Darius and the Scythians  512 bridge over Hellespont—then up to Danube.  Discussion of whether to ear down Danubian Bridge.  Darius fights Scythians—unsuccessful  Short of supplies, retreats.  But turns Thrace into a satrapy—Persian presence in Europe—and meets Hippias at Sigeum—who wants to be restored.

4.  Showed that Asian armies could be easily brought to Europe  With Thrace—Persians now have a European presence.  Meanwhile Ionian Greeks:  Aristagoras, tyrant of Miletus—convinced Persians satrap at Sardis Artaphernes that Greek city-states could be conquered one-by- one. In fact, attacked Naxos.

5.  Attempt on Naxos failed—Aristagoras knew punishment was inevitable so instead urged the Greeks to revolt against Persia.  Ionian Revolt 499  Aristagoras needs Greek aid—Sparta says no— Athens yes—twenty-ships  498 march on and burn most of Sardis.  Only offensive action—Ionians on defensive

6.  Darius retakes cities  494 Battle of Lade—Persians (600 Phoenician ships vs. 353 Greek ships) Many Greek deserters—Samos, Lesbos.  Miletus falls—population deported  Generally peace terms generous  Histiaeus—tyrant of Miletus-- executed.

8.  Punish Athens and Eretria  Reconquer Thrace  Sack of Miletus affected all of Greece—former cultural center—fellow Greeks  Phrynicus produced the tragedy The Capture of Miletus in Athens. The Athenians fined him for reminding them of their loss.  Also election of a new man to archonship—  Themistocles in 493  From merchant class, no real ties to aristocracy.

9.  Policy—focus on navy—aggression for defensive purposes.  Reconstructs a new port at Piraeus.  Also, build a new fleet.  Tuning away from old aristocrats can also be seen in rise of Miltiades—Thracian tyrant forced to serve in Darius campaigns in Scythia, but leader in Ionian Revolt—fled to Athens

10.  492 Darius sends son Mardonius to Thrace  Reconquered it, planned on attacking Athens  Demands earth and water—some said yes; not Athens—some Greeks see Persians as a tool to punish enemies  Some states knew no match against Persia.  490—invasion fleet to Eretria on Euboea—city sacked and population sent to Mesopotamia— next Athens.

11.  The traditional story relates that Pheidippides (530 BC–490 BC), an Athenian herald, was sent to Sparta to request help when the Persians landed at Marathon.  He ran 240 km (150 mi) in two days.  He then ran the 40 km (25 mi) from the battlefield near Marathon to Athens to announce the Greek victory over Persia in the Battle of Marathon (490 BC) with the word " Νενικήκαμεν " (Nenikékamen, "We have won") and collapsed and died on the spot from exhaustion.

12.  Athenians show up with 10 generals— Miltiades gives a rousing speech—right now!— or enslaved for future generations.  Athenian hoplites march downhill (about a mile) charge Persian forces—outnumbered so pack wings.  Greeks had better armor, longer spears, packed wings

13.  Greeks fighting for freedom—charged in and surprised Persians  Forces cut down Persians—other Persians tried to escape for ships—trapped in marshland.  Spartans appear once battle over  192 Athenian dead; 6400 Persian dead.  Spartans—not bad.

14.  But: signal flashed from Athens to Persian fleet—seen as a sign that he city would surrender.  Haunts Athenian politics as many suspected the Alcmaeonids.  Darius furious—wants a new invasion attempt.  But also problems in Athens

16.  War hero—encourages expansion of fleet “to enrich the people”  Begins to demand money from islands that had medized. Tries to besiege Paros—could not conquer it and was wounded.  Tried before Ecclesia for deceiving Athens— condemned to death—penalty commuted to money and son Cimon had to pay it.  But Miltiades attended trial on stretcher with a gangreneous leg.  Aristocratic reaction

17.  Miltiades had been trying to establish a “buffer”  Even in Sparta:  Cleomenes accused of taking bribes from Argos—imprisoned—cut himself up with a knife.  King Demaratus deposed but flees to Persia and is granted four cities—accompanies Xerxes on his invasion.

18.  Crisis between Themistocles (new) and Aristides (old)—Themistocles has him ostracized in 482.  1. tension between aristocrats and citizens  2. unsuccessful naval war with Aegina  Fear of another Persian invasion  Themistocles uses all of these to his advantage.

19.  Makes archonship open to lot (no longer aristocratic prerogative)  Archonship really replaced by ten strategoi  New silver vein at Laurium tapped— Themstocles—construction of a new fleet.  Affect Athenian attitude?  Naval policy benefits lower classes: as rowers.

20.  Planning a new invasion—rebellion in Egypt— dies in 486.  Darius’ heir—Xerxes raised on anti-Greek stories. Decides on invasion  481 bridges the Hellespont (2 bridges)  481 Greek Congress at Corinth 1. peace in Greece 2. Spartans given command  But disagreement over where battle should be fought.

25.  Thermopylae  Persians: 5 million (prob. 70,000-300,000; Greeks 6-7,000—300 Spartans  3 days at Thermopylae  Ephialtes  Leonidas in shade  Xerxes’desecration of Leonidas’body

26. LYRIC POETRY CORINTHIAN VASE WITH ARCHAIC SCRIPT  Simonides of Ceos c. 556– 468 BC  “Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by, that here obedient to their laws we lie.“  One of the nine great lyric poets  First to write poems to be read rather than heard.

31.  Delphi sacked  Athens evacuates to Salamis (long planned evacuation)  Athens burned; based on a lie Persian fleet sent into Salamis.

33.  The holding operation at Thermopylae slowed down, but did not halt, the Persian advance through Greece.  The Persians destroyed Athens, with the Athenian men watching in their ships, but Xerxes’ ships engaged with the Athenians in the narrow strait of Salamis.  By sundown, the Persians had lost two hundred ships and the battle.  A large Greek army united to defeat the Persians at Plataea in 479, and the Persians withdrew.

35.  Mardonius moved to break the stalemate by trying to win over the Athenians and their fleet through the mediation of Alexander I of Macedon.  He offered peace, self-government,and territorial expansion. Athenians made sure that a Spartan delegation was also on hand to hear the offer, and rejected it:  The degree to which we are put in the shadow by the Medes' strength is hardly something you need to bring to our attention. We are already well aware of it. But even so, such is our love of liberty, that we will never surrender. Herodotus

36.  Without fleet Xerxes returns  Mardonius with 300,000 to finish job.  Athens refuses to surrender and is burned anew.  Plataea 479—Persians destroyed  Mycale—Athenian naval victory  But fear that Persia would return.