1. The Greco-Persian Wars
Battling Ancient Greek Style
( BCE)

2. Greco-Persian Wars: Who is fighting?
Persia – largest of all the eastern empires. The Persians based their empire on tolerance and diplomacy. They relied on a strong military to back up their policies. Ancient Persia is where Iran is today.
Greek city-states – small, scattered and weakened by fighting one another. (Very ill-prepared to defend themselves)

3. City State Coalitions
When the Greek city states were threatened, they joined together to fight against foreign invaders.

4. The Persians
The Persians were the first real threat to the Greek people.
The Persian Empire was huge…. It spread from Asia Minor (Turkey today) to India.
They were very strong strategists and wanted to conquer Greece.
The Persians wanted territory.
The Greeks were used to their independence, so they wanted to defend it, even though the control by the Persians was not horrible.
During the conquest for the control of Greece, the Greeks and the Persians were involved in 3 great battles. These battles are known as the Persian Wars.

5. The Persian Empire 500 BCE

6. Persians vs. Greeks
The Persians
The Greeks
Large and diverse group of men from all over Persia
Led by a powerful General
Armed with a short spear and sword
Carried long rectangular wicker shields
Wore leather armour
Fought in the ‘Sparabara’ formation
Also had archers and lightly armed cavalry
Armies from different city-states; eg. Sparta, Athens
Had no central leadership
Armed with a long spear and sword
Carried concave shields made of wood
Wore metal armour: Breastplate, helmet and greaves
Fought in the Phalanx formation
Had few archers, no cavalry

7. Assignment Answer the following three questions in your notes:
Which side would you rather be fighting on? Why?
 Who do you think will emerge victorious from the Persian Wars?
List and explain three reasons for your choice to question #2.
What factors not listed above might also influence the outcome of the wars?

8. Greco-Persian Wars
Conflicts between several Greek city-states and the Persian Empire starting about 546 BC
Why?
Persians had already taken over Ionian (Asia-Minor).
The Ionians started to rebel with some help from Athenians
Typical for Greeks and their love of independence.
REVOLT! (499 BCE)
Persia won - but vowed revenge!

9. Cyrus the Great of Persia Empire Builder

10. Persian Wars…background
Persian King Darius and his son Xerxes led the campaign against the Greeks. (Determined to punish Greeks for their revolt.)
The Athenians convened the Delian League (a confederacy of ancient Greek states) & called all powerful city –states
Sparta – could not attend because of religious festival, full moon, it was bad luck.

11. Prior to the Battle Marathon

12. Battle of Marathon 490 BCE
Persian Fleet just outside the city of Marathon.
Athenians lead a force of 10,000 troops against a Persian force of 20 – 60,000, and about 600 ships.
For five days the armies squared off and looked at each other, Athens hoping for the Spartans to arrive.
Pheidippides ran 225 km in 36 hours to get Spartans…but they didn’t show up.
Strategy – reinforce wings
Also, the Persian grazed horses at night…so they attacked at dawn so cavalry wouldn’t be there

13. Risky Move! Athenians attacked without cavalry or archers!
They knew Persians usually saved their best troops for the centre ranks so the Athenians strengthened their wings.
Long battle… Athenians closed in and trapped the Persians – driving them back.
Persians tried to sail to Athens to take the city but Athenians were too quick for them, forcing them to abandon that idea and sail back to Asia.

14. Battle of Marathon
The Athenians put their strongest forces on the wings, and feigned a retreat in the center line of phalanx
This caused a double-envelopment.

15. Aftermath Greeks won – 192 dead Athenians, 6400 dead Persians.
Persians retreated – last time Darius attempted to attack.
Significance: learned that Persia could be defeated, city-states gained confidence, Greek patriotism.

16. Battle Prep – Take 2
Knowing that the Persians would return the Athenians took defensive precautions.
Strong navy – a fleet of 200 ships
In 481 BCE, all Greek states that were prepared to resist the Persians held a congress at Corinth… Athens and Sparta decided to share the leadership role.
This congress didn’t join all Greek states (as some declined the invitation and did not intend to fight) but it was the first attempt ever made to form a Greek national league.

18. Battle of Thermopylae 480 BCE
King Xerxes, the son and successor of Darius, was determined to continue the assault on the Greek mainland.

19. Thermopylae… the forces
Persians – 200,000 – 500,000 troops; Fleet of over 1200 ships
Spartan Force – 300 Spartans, 6000 allies
Thermopylae was a mountain pass known as the “Gates of Hell.”

20. Thermopylae
Greeks chose a defensive position at Thermopylae – a narrow pass through which the Persians had to pass.
Originally had 7300, but many retreated.

21. Thermopylae
The Spartans built (or fixed) a wall (Phocian Wall) along the ridge of the mountain pass, forcing the Persians to fight in lines of 10 instead of facing the full brunt of the Persians.

22. King Leonidas
Greeks had about 7000 troops – majority being Peloponnesians.
Sparta sent 300 of the best Spartan soldiers (under the command of Spartan King Leonidas).
Leonidas knew it was a suicide mission:
His wife asked him what she should do while he was away at battle and he replied: “Marry a good man, and have many children!”
Leonidas prepared a force of single, unmarried men without children to take with him into battle.
(300 movie clip)

23. Questions
Why do you suppose Xerxes brought such a large invasion force?
What are some of the practical problems associated with moving such a vast army and navy over such great distances?
Why do the Greeks want to meet the Persians at Thermopylae?
How would you describe the Greek battle plan?
Do you think the Greeks expect to win a victory at Thermopylae?

24. A Greek Traitor…
The Greeks had hoped to hold the Persian at Thermopylae while attacking the fleet to the north.
Three days of fighting deflated the Greeks and things began to go wrong.
A Greek traitor led the Persian forces along a mountain path to the far end of the pass at Thermopylae.
Leonidas saw that this forces were trapped and ordered most of the army to leave to defend Athens…

26. Phalanx… Spartans used phalanx– Persians lost between 3000- 5000/day.
He and his force of 300 fought to the death (with the help of 900 Thespians – prisoners of war who refused to abandon Leonidas).
The end of the battle saw intense hand to hand combat with soldiers even biting and scratching.
(Battle of the 300 – 10 minute clip documentary)

27. Aftermath Persians lost about 50,000 troops
Spartan force – lost 300, about 1200 other troops.
Xerxes was so enraged that he had Leonidas’ head cut off and his body crucified.
Soldiers were so moved by the battle they constructed a monument called the Epitaph of Simonides with the following verse; a last dig at the Athenians:
“Go tell the Spartans, you who have read; That we have followed their orders, and now are dead.”
Xerxes had to regroup and abandon his attack on the city of Athens.

29. Battle of Salamis
Naval battle – last and decisive battle of the Persian Wars.
After his victory at Thermopylae, King Xerxes set up his navy off the coast of Salamis
Athens was abandoned and burnt to the ground
1st great naval battle in recorded history

30. Battle of Salamis

31. The Combatants Persia had 1200 ships – large, heavy ships
Before the battle, they lost 300 in a storm!
Greeks had 380 ships called triremes – small and quick
Since winter was approaching, Xerxes was forced to act. He moved his navy into the narrow inlet surrounding Salamis.

32. Battle Preparations
Xerxes was sure of victory. He had his throne placed on a hill overlooking the sea, in part to savor his victory and in part so his commanders would know that their king was watching them.
He observed the Spartans preparing for battle, and remarked to his advisor: “Who are these women we are fighting today?”

33. Battle Strategy The Greeks led by Themistocles
Themistocles developed a plan to prevent them from fleeing and to draw the Persians into battle. He sent a spy to the Persians telling them that if they attacked now, many of the Greeks would turn on each other. They should block the mouth of the harbor immediately!
The Persians took the bait and sailed into the harbor. There was nothing to do now for the Greek navy but to fight!

34. The battle continued…
The lighter Greek ships rammed the front of their ships into the Persian vessel.

35. Sink or swim?
In the narrow straight, the speed and maneuverability of the Greek ships enabled them to sink two hundred Persian ships.
Persians couldn’t swim, but Greeks could!
Persians trying to impress the king – trying to row to the front lines, while others were retreating…

36. Aftermath
Some were captured and the rest fled back to their bases in Asia Minor. King Xerxes, upon seeing this great defeat at Salamis, headed back to Persia with what was left of his navy and part of his army.
Salamis was not the final battle of the Persian Wars, but it was the fatal blow for the Persians; they would never recover.
Greeks won the wars with the Battle of Platae

37. Significance of the Persian Wars
The Greek city states had proven that they could work together to defeat an external foe. They were strong, organized, and with the defeat of the Persians - they became the superpower of the region.
The end of the Persian wars marked the beginning of “Golden Age” of Ancient Greece – historians call this era the Classical Period.
Athens – all-powerful, started their own empire
Note: Persians weren’t that bad; they called the Greeks « barbarians ».