8/6/2019 History Essay Athens or Sparta

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History Essay Athens vs. Sparta

Greece achieved the defeat of the Persians not solely but most importantly due to Athens. Athens

recently built fleet of 200 ships thanks to Themistocles, which would prove to be a vital strength for

the Greeks. Without the cunning leadership of the Athenian generals, Miltiades and Themistocles

the Greeks would have surely lost to the Persians.

In 490 BC the Persian King, Darius I landed an army of large infantry that was well packed"

(Herodotus) that clearly outnumbered the Athenian force, led by Miltiades, a veteran general who

understood Persian tactics. Miltiades formed the Athenians in a formation so the wings of the army

were more powerful then the centre, this proved ingenious as the centre was bring pushed back the

larger wings enveloped the Persian army, slaughtering it, the Athenians solely defeated the invading

army without help of the promised Spartan army. This battle is perhaps the single most important

battle in Greek history. Had the Athenians lost, Greece would have eventually come under the

control of the Persians and all the subsequent culture and accomplishments of the Greeks would

probably not have taken the form they did. However the Persians were not finished.

In 483 BC a massive seam of silver was found in Laurium. The initial plan for this silver was to be

spread among the Athenian citizens. However Themistocles, an Athenian politician, proposed that

the silver be used to build a fleet of 200 triremes for the Athenian navy. Themistocles turned the

Athenians in the seaworthy sailors, or as Pluto puts it From stead fast hoplites into sea-tossed

mariners. This fleet proved to be of vital importance in the battle of Artemisium and the battle of 

Salamis, and the Persian defeat would not have been accomplished without these two victories.

In 480 BC Xerxes massed a massive army (Herodotus number of 3,000,000 is unreasonable, modern

estimates range from 200,000 to 250,000) across the Thracian side of the Hellespont,the Greeks

met at Isthmus to form an alliance, some 31 states are recorded on the serpent column as attending

the meeting at the Isthmus to combat the invaders. Sparta was declared the leader of the alliance

By virtue of that generally acknowledged leadership (Meiggs) however the Athenians, led byThemistocles were seen as the leaders of the fleet by prestige through resisting the Persians at

Marathon (Meiggs). According to Herodotus, the Delphic oracle was consulted when the Persian

Army approached, and it said that Athens would be protected by wooden walls. Athens and the

Piraeus were already surrounded by wooden walls, but Themistocles convinced them that the

wooden walls were actually the triremes of the Athenian Navy. The city was evacuated and

destroyed by the Persians, but Themistocles and his "wooden walls" demolished the Persian Navy at

the Battle of Salamis. It was the turning point of the war. Plutarch tells us the Greeks were saved at

that time by their (Athens) prowess at sea. If the Athenians had remained to defend the city and

been killed, there is no doubt that the Greeks would have never won at Salamis and hence, won the

war.

The Spartans role in the Persian wars cannot be overlooked however.While the Greeks were notvictorious at Thermopylae the Greeks (mainly Sparta) destroyed the Persian morale as the Greeks

were seen almost as superhuman(Humble) or by what Herodotus called Xerxes ludicrous attempt

to conceal the number of his dead. The Spartans who also consulted the Oracle at Delphi were told

that Sparta would burn or have its King (Leonidus) killed. King Leonidus bravely led a company of 

5,000 men and held off vast amounts of Persian attackers, Herodotus tell us that when the Spartans

were warned about the Persian arrows dimming the sun, the Spartans arrogantly statedthat they

will fight in the shade. The Spartans role at Platea was vital in expelling the Persians once and for all

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as they led the a large Greek army (Herodotus tells us 110,000 but modern estimates are

approximately 40,000), the largest army ever formed by Greece to victory against the Persians.

Greece was saved by the Athenians. It was the Athenians who held the balance: whichever side

they joined was sure to prevail(Herodotus). While Sparta had a very important role in the Persian

wars, it is clear that the Athenians were the most vital, due to exceptional leadership, initiative and

prowess at sea Greece was saved by the Athenians.