1. The Persian and Peloponnesian Wars
Western Civilization
Ms. Tully

2. 500-338 BCE – Greek civilization reached high point
Philosophy, architecture, drama, warfare
Herodotus (ca )
“Father of history”
Recorded oral accounts of Persian War

3. The Persian Wars (499-479 BCE)

4. Origins of the Wars Cyrus the Great conquered Ionia in 547 BCE
Appointed tyrants to govern independent- minded Greeks
Ionian city-states rebelled against Persian rule in 499 BCE
Help from Athens and Eritrea

5. Persians Invade Mainland Greece
Battle of Marathon – 25 miles from Athens
Persian war machine – massive naval expedition & infantry
Hoplites defeated lightly armed Persian infantry
6400 Persians dead vs. 192 Greeks
Greek victory – taught Greeks they could defeat the Persians
Persian rule passed from Darius the Great to his son Xerxes
Built up massive campaign to invade Greece
Temporary setbacks b/c of Egyptian revolts

7. Invasion Round 2 – 480 BCE Unified Greek city-states
Spartans - overall leadership
Themosticles of Athens – naval commander
Battle of Thermopylae
Spartan king Leonidas and his personal bodyguard of 300 men
Supported by allied Greek troops
Two days of battle against Persians
Betrayed by local resident – scouts revealed this to Leonidas

8. Battles of Plataea and Myclae, 479 BCE
Dismissed allied troops – Held pass with 300 men for one more day, but all were killed or captured
Persians occupied most of mainland Greece
Athens evacuated in advance of Persian invasion
Battle of Salamis
Naval battle in narrow Salamis straits
Persian numbers became a hindrance
Greeks won – sinking/capturing 200+ Persian ships
Xerxes retreated with majority of his army
Battles of Plataea and Myclae, 479 BCE
Final defeat of remaining Persian army

12. Significance of Greco-Persian Wars
Demonstrated independence of Greeks – would not be dominated by outside culture or monarchy
Monarchy = very un-Greek
Symbolized lack of freedom
Greeks defined by freedom and independence
Ensured that Greek ideals and culture would be passed on to future generations

13. The Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE)
Athens formed the Delian League – a military naval alliance of Greek city-states from around the Aegean – shortly after Persian war
Led by Pericles (ca BCE)
Intellectual, aggressive, imperialistic
Eventually became Athenian empire

14. Growing power of Athens worried Sparta
Numerous clashes between allies of Athens and Sparta in years leading up to Peloponnesian wars
Led to war between the two city-states and their allies
Sparta and its allies besieged Athens repeatedly
Athens built walls around city for protection
Athenians cloistered in city
Plague in 430 – killed 1/3 of population (including Pericles)
Athenians had naval power
Triremes – Athenian ships built for speed
Repeated attacks on coastline of Peloponnesus

17. Peace of Nicias (421 BCE) Invasion of Syracuse
Resulted in cold war (sort of…)
Invasion of Melos – demonstration of Athenian brutality
Alcibiades (ca BCE) – new ambitious Athenian leader
Invasion of Syracuse
Alcibiades encouraged Athenians to invaded Syracuse in Sicily
Cut off grain supply to Spartans
Alcibiades defected from Athenians to Spartans
Wanted to avoid trial, had many political enemies
Nicias took over command of Athenian military
Spartans sent reinforcements to Sicily
Syracuse defeated Athenians in 413 BCE

18. Second Phase of Peloponnesian War
Sparta declared war against Athens again in 413 BCE
Numerous revolts in Athenian empire (especially islands and Ionia)
Sparta created alliance with Persians
Alcibiades idea
Persians agreed to build navy fleet for Sparta so they could defeat Athenians

19. Alcibiades leaves Sparta for Athenians
Led a series of victories against Spartans – Battle of Syme and Battle of Cyzicus
Spartan victory at Battle of Notium (406 BCE)
Alcibiades leaves Athens
Political infighting within Athens weakens and demoralizes navy
Battle of Aegospotami
Lysander became new Spartan general – very cunning and excellent military strategist
Sailed Spartan fleet to Hellespont – cut off grain supply to Athens
Athenian fleet had no choice but to follow – completely defeated

20. Athenians starved into submission – surrendered in 404 BCE
Gave up fleet, overseas possessions
Corinth and Thebes wanted Athens destroyed
Sparta allowed Athens to remain intact – cited great leadership during Persian war
But Athens was beholden to Sparta – never rose to same level of power they once had