1. A Short History of Greek Warfare

2. Round 1: Greeks vs. Persians 500 BC – Persians ran most of the known World Culture Clash!?!? Cyrus the Great (540 BC) took advantage of disunited Greece Ionia (present day Turkey) was under Persian Rule Athenians couldn’t accept this and encouraged to rebel!!!! Darius the Great invaded Greece in 490 BC Athenians defeated him at Marathon Spartans were skipped out for a religious festival

3. Round 2: Greeks vs. Persians Athens and the rest of Greece got off easy Darius’s son, Xerxes was not as polite 250,000 men from the Persian empire 10,000 “immortals” Floating bridge across the Hellespont –First one destroyed; engineers beheaded –Next, two bridges consisting of 300 bound ships –Hellespont: 1 mile long –Rope: 1 foot wide

4. Round 2: Continued Greeks started freaking out Athens send envoys to Sparta and beg for an alliance Battle of Thermopylae –Leonidas recruited 300 men to bodyguard Greek soldiers –The Spartans held off a quarter million Persians for three days Themistocles –persuaded the Athenians to let the Spartans lead the military –privately persuaded the Spartans to let him run the navy. –Persuaded Athens to evacuate the city Battle of Salamis –Persian navy was completely destroyed Battle of Plataea –Greek army united with 10,000 Spartans

5. Round 3: Greeks vs. Greeks Persian Wars ended in 479 BC Delian League was formed –An “alliance” against Persia –It eventually turned into an Athenian Empire –Strong navy; covered the Aegean Sea –Athens collected “tribute payments” from their “allies” Peloponnesian League was formed –Sparta had to start their own “club” –They had no navy –Claimed total superiority on the ground Athens built huge stone walls around their city In a nutshell: One side owned the sea, the other the land

6. Round 3: Continued Problems started in 433 BC Corinth (ally of Sparta) got into an argument with Corcyra (a Corinthian colony) Corcyra went to Athens for help Corinth went to Sparta for help To be Continued….