CLASH OF THE TITANS:THE PERSIAN WARS

Previously…

500 BC: A rebellion against Darius in Ionia is supported by the Greek city-state of Athens

492 BC: Darius launches an invasion of Greece

490 BC: The Greeks and the Persians meet at the Battle of Marathon

The Contenders

The Persians The Greeks

100,000 Infantry Some say 200,000-

600,000

1,000 Cavalry

Total: 101,000

9,000-10,000 Athenians

1,000 Plataeans

Total: 11,000

Arms and Armor

Greek soldiers were called hoplites – heavily armored infantry (foot soldiers)

Hoplites fight in the phalanx – a rectangular formation where soldiers stand shoulder to shoulder

The Hoplite

The Phalanx Formation

The Immortals

The Immortals

The Immortals were heavy, Persian infantry shock troops that generally wore black tiaras that covered their faces

They are called Immortals because there were never less than 10,000 of them A sick, injured, or dead Immortal was

immediately replaced to maintain the unit

The Battle of Marathon

Darius wants revenge for Athens aiding the rebellion against him He’s so angry he orders one of his servants

to stand next to him during his meals and say “Sire, remember the Athenians.”

Darius’ army lands at Marathon and is soundly defeated Pheidippedes runs 26 miles back to Athens

to shout “Nike-Victory! We win!” before collapsing dead

Let’s Get Ready to Rumble

Persia is humiliated by the defeat at Marathon First crack in the invincible Persian military

machine Darius I dies before he can launch a second

invasion After seeing the defeat at Marathon, rebellions

break out all over the Persian Empire

Darius’ son Xerxes intends to destroy Athens

Xerxes may have been (a little) Crazy

Xerxes tried to cross the Hellespont, a strait of water between Europe and Asia A storm came up and sank his bridge

Orders his men to whip the Hellespont! Even had his men throw handcuffs into the water

“You hateful water, our master lays his judgment on you thus, for you have unjustly punished him even though he's done you no wrong! Xerxes the king will pass over you, whether you wish it or not! It is fitting that no man offer you sacrifices, for you're a muddy and salty river!” – Xerxes (Herodotus, Histories)

The Battle of Thermopylae, 480 BC

Along with Marathon, this is one of the most important battles in human history

Themistocles, an Athenian general, learns from Marathon that the way to defeat Persia is with the navy Appeals to Sparta for help Athens will fight the naval war, Sparta the

land war Sparta answers the call

Leonidas and the 300

300 Spartans

Leonidas, King of Sparta, marched his personal guard of 300 Spartans north to Thermopylae By the time they arrived over 7,000 had

joined them

Sparta would hold Persia off at Thermopylae, a narrow pass on the road to Athens

Athens would fight at the Artemisium Straits

The Last Stand

For 3 days Leonidas and the Spartans hold off close to 300,000 Persians When the Persians discover a way to

outflank the Greeks, Leonidas orders his 300 into the pass to hold off the attack while the rest of the army retreats

All 300 Spartans, including Leonidas, die The Greek army and navy escape to fight

another day Thermopylae was a Persian victory

Endgame

Xerxes marches on Athens and burns it to the ground His (ridiculously stupid) actions unite all of Greece

against him

Themistocles and the Athenian navy defeat the Persians at Salamis The Persians lose 1200 ships

The Persian Army is wiped out at Plataea in 479 BC Persia loses 257,000 soldiers in this one battle

Aftermath

Athens and Sparta stand alone as masters of the Aegean

Athens enters a golden age of empire

But soon, Athens and Sparta will be fighting each other…