Yr 12 HSC Ancient History

1. The Persian Wars -
Overview

2. • Freedom vs Slavery?
• Democracy vs Tyranny?
• Europe vs Asia?
• Or empire vs empire?

3. Background
1) Persian Expansion: In the 500s, the Persian Empire expanded to the
borders of Greece
2) Athenian Democracy: In 508BC, Athens
became the ‘first’ democracy in history.
3) Ionian Revolt: Greek states revolted
against Persian rule between 499-493BC

4. Battle 1:
When: 490BC
Marathon
Where: Marathon,
near Athens
How many? c.11,000 Greeks, c.25,000 Persian
infantry and 5,000 cavalry
Who: King Darius (Persia), Datis (Persia),
Miltiades (Athens), Pheidippides (Athens)
Outcome: Greek victory. Persia forced to flee from
Greece.
What: Land battle

5. Between the Wars…Persia
•Darius swore revenge
•Egypt revolted in 487BC
•Darius died in 486BC
•Xerxes became King and focused on
restoring order in his own Kingdom
•He spent 4 years raising a force of
200,000 to invade Greece
•He sent emissaries to Greece to
demand submission

6. Persia…continued
•He built 800 ships
•He had a 2km canal cut through
Mt Athos
•He had a bridge of boats built
across the Hellespont
•He had ships filled with supplies,
and built depots along the route to
Greece
•By 480, he was ready to punish
the Greeks

7. Between the Wars…Greece
•Themistocles became a prominent
figure
•Athens discovered large silver
deposits
•Themistocles convinced Athens to
build a large navy of 200 ships
•31 Greek states met in Corinth in
481 and formed the Hellenic Alliance
•Leonidas was put in charge of the
Greek army

8. Greece…continued
•The Spartan Eurybiades was put in
charge of the navy
•Internal disputes in Greece were
suspended
•Spies were sent to Persia
•Ostracised citizens were recalled
to help the war effort
•By 480 BC, Greece was united and
ready to face a Persian invasion

9. The Invasion – 480BC
• Xerxes gathered men from 46 nations in Asia Minor
• Using two bridges made of over 300 boats each, he crossed his huge
force across the Hellespont
• The army spent over 3 months travelling down towards Athens
• A canal was cut at Mt Athos to allow his ships through safely

10. Xerxes’ Route

11. The Armies Meet
The Greeks planned to halt the Persian advance at
Thermopylae, a narrow pass north of Athens.
Nearby was Cape Artemisium, where they could
position their navy.

12. Battle 2:
When: August 480BC
Thermopylae
Where: Thermopylae
Pass, Greece
How many? 300 Spartans, c.7,000 other Greeks,
up to 200,000 Persians
Who: King Xerxes (Persia), Leonidas (Sparta),
Ephialtes (Greek traitor)
Outcome: Persian victory, yet the Greeks held up
Xerxes’ advance for four days.
What: Land battle

13. Herodotus:
“Then the Hellenes put out to sea and engaged
battle with them; and in this battle the two
sides were nearly equal to one another; for
the fleet of Xerxes by reason of its great size
and numbers suffered damage from itself,
since the ships were thrown into confusion
and ran into one another…”

14. Battle 3:
When: 480BC – same time
as Thermopylae
Artemisium
Where: Artemisium,
near Thermopylae
How many? c.300 Greek triremes, c.200 Persian ships
Who: Eurybiades (Sparta)
Outcome: After several indecisive encounters, the
Greeks withdrew on news of the defeat at
Thermopylae
What: Naval battle

15. Athens is evacuated
• The defeat at Thermopylae forced the Greeks to reconsider their
strategy
• Themistocles convinced his people to evacuate Athens to lure the
Persians south
• He argued that they should rely on their naval forces to defeat the
Persians, as they were heavily outnumbered on the ground

16. Themistocles’ masterstroke
His plan was to force a
naval battle in the narrow
straits at Salamis… and
destroy the Persian fleet
of 800 triremes…
Bold but potentially
brilliant…

17. Battle 4:
When: September,
480BC
Salamis
Where: Salamis Island,
near Athens
How many? C.380 Greek triremes, c.800 Persian
ships
Who: King Xerxes (Persia), Themistocles
(Athens), Eurybiades (Sparta)
Outcome: Decisive Greek victory. Xerxes withdrew
ready to fight again the following year.
What: Naval battle

18. The Turning Point
• 390 ships were hidden behind a promontory off the island of
Salamis.
• Themistocles sent a false message to Xerxes, saying the Greeks
were trying to escape and to send the fleet immediately.
• Xerxes sent 200 Egyptian vessels to the other end of the bay and
the rest of the fleet were ordered into the narrow strait off
Salamis.
• Greeks attacked. Persians confused and could not manoeuvre
their boats.
• Persians were totally defeated.

19. Aeschylus:
“Forward, sons of the
Greeks,
Liberate the fatherland,
liberate
Your children, your women,
the altars of the gods of
your fathers
And the graves of your
forebears:
Now is the fight for
everything.

20. Winter break…
• The two sides broke off for
winter, in order to regroup
• Xerxes, humiliated, returned to
Persia
• He left Mardonius to finish the
war in 479BC
• He chose Plataea for the final
showdown
• Athens convinced Sparta to join
with them again for battle

21. Battle 5:
When: August,
479BC
Plataea
Where: Plataea, southern
Greece
How many? c.40,000 Greeks, c.50-100,000
Persians
Who: Mardonius (Persia), Pausanias (Sparta),
Aristides (Athens)
Outcome: Greek victory. Mardonius killed, Persian
forces fled toward Persia.
What: Land battle

22. Herodotus:
“so long as Mardonius survived, they held
out against them, and defending
themselves, they cast down many of the
Lacedemonians; but when Mardonius was
slain…then the others too turned and gave
way before the Lacedemonians…since in
truth they were contending light-armed
against hoplites”

23. The End…
• On the same day, the Greeks finished off the Persian navy as well…

24. Battle 6:
When: August,
479BC, same time
as Plataea
Mycale
Where: Mycale, Ionia
(modern Turkey)
How many? c.6,000 Greeks and 100 ships,
c.50,000 Persians and 300 ships
Who: King Leotychides (Sparta)
Outcome: Greek victory. Persian force defeated
and fleet destroyed. Greeks returned to mainland.
What: ‘Amphibious’
assault

25. Herodotus:
“so long as Mardonius survived, they held
out against them, and defending
themselves, they cast down many of the
Lacedemonians; but when Mardonius was
slain…then the others too turned and gave
way before the Lacedemonians…since in
truth they were contending light-armed
against hoplites”