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Persian Wars

History >> Ancient Greece

The Persian Wars were a series of wars fought between the Persians and the Greeks from 492 BC to 449 BC.

Who were the Persians?

ThePersian Empire was the largest and most powerful empire in the world at the time of the Persian Wars. They controlled land that stretched from Egypt all the way to India.

Map of the Persian Empire by Unknown
Click map to see larger version

Who were the Greeks?

The Greeks were made up of a number of city-states such as Sparta and Athens. Typically these city-states fought each other, but they united to fight against the Persians.

Ionians

The Ionians were Greeks that lived along the coast ofTurkey. They were conquered by the Persians. When the Ionians decided to revolt they asked Athens and other Greek cities for help. The other Greek cities sent ships and weapons, but were quickly defeated. The Persians didn't like this and decided to conquer the rest of the Greek cities in order to keep them under control.

First Invasion of Greece

Darius I, King of Persia, decided he wanted to conquer the Greeks in 490 BC. He gathered a vast army of soldiers that outnumbered any army the Greeks could muster. They boarded the Persian fleet and headed to Greece.

Battle of Marathon

The Persian fleet landed at the Bay of Marathon, about 25 miles from the city of Athens. The Persians had a lot more soldiers, but they underestimated the fighting capability of the Greeks. The army of Athens routed the Persian army killing around 6,000 Persians and only losing 192 Greeks.

After the battle, the Athenian army ran the 25 miles back to Athens in order to prevent the Persians from attacking the city. This is the origin of the Marathon running race.

Second Invasion of Greece

Ten years later, in 480 BC, the son of Darius I, King Xerxes, decided to get his revenge on the Greeks. He amassed a huge army of over 200,000 soldiers and 1,000 warships.

Battle of Thermopylae

The Greeks put together a small force, led by the Spartan King Leonidas I and 300 Spartans. They decided to meet the Persians at a narrow pass in the mountains called Thermopylae. The Greeks held off the Persians killing thousands, until the Persians found a way around the mountains and got behind the Greeks. King Leonidas told most of his troops to flee, but stayed behind with a small force including his 300 Spartans in order to allow the rest of the Greek army to escape. The Spartans fought to the death, killing as many Persians as they could.

Battle of Salamis

The Persian army continued to march on Greece. When they arrived at the city of Athens, they found it deserted. The people of Athens had fled. The Athenian fleet, however, was waiting off the coast by the island of Salamis.

The much larger Persian fleet attacked the small Athenian ships. They were sure of victory. However, the Athenian ships, called triremes, were fast and maneuverable. They rammed into the sides of the large Persian ships and sunk them. They soundly defeated the Persians causing Xerxes to retreat back to Persia.

Map of the Battle of Salamis
from the US Military Academy
Click map to see larger version

Interesting Facts about the Persian Wars

After the first invasion, the Athenians built up a mighty fleet of ships called triremes.

The Persian Empire would eventually be conquered by the Greeks under the leadership of Alexander the Great.

The movie 300 is about the Spartans who fought at Thermopylae.

The Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield is a famous book about the Battle of Thermopylae.

Xerxes, king of Persia, had his golden throne carried along so he could watch the Greeks be defeated by his army from a nearby hillside. He must have been pretty disappointed!

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History >> Ancient Greece

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Persian Wars History >> Ancient Greece The Persian Wars were a series of wars fought between the Persians and the Greeks from 492 BC to 449 BC. Who were the Persians? ThePersian Empire was the largest and most powerful empire in the world at the time of the Persian Wars.

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By 500 bce Persia ruled a large empire that was centered in what is now Iran. The Persians had conquered a number of ancient Greek cities, called city-states, that lay along the eastern Mediterranean Sea. In about 499 bce these city-states rebelled against their Persian rulers. This rebellion started the Persian Wars, a long series of battles between the Greeks and the Persians.

During the rebellion Athens sent 20 ships to help the Greek rebels. Athens was a powerful city-state on the Greek mainland. Despite the help from the Athenians, the rebels lost to the Persians.

The Persians vowed revenge against Athens for its part in the rebellion. In 490 bce a Persian army invaded mainland Greece. The Athenians faced the Persians in battle on the plain of Marathon, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from Athens. Although there were fewer Athenians than Persians, the Athenian troops badly defeated the Persians.

Ten years later the Persians returned. This time both their army and navy were huge and powerful. One battle followed another. Finally, in 480 bce the Greeks defeated the Persians in a great sea battle in the Strait of Salamis. (The Strait of Salamis is a narrow body of water a few miles west of Athens.) Another Greek victory came the following year.

Smaller battles raged for the next 30 years, but the Persians never again conquered the Greeks. In 449 bce the Greeks and the Persians agreed to a final peace treaty.

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By 500 bce Persia ruled a large empire that was centered in what is now Iran. The Persians had conquered a number of ancient Greek cities, called city-states, that lay along the eastern Mediterranean Sea. In about 499 bce these city-states rebelled against their Persian rulers.

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Background The Persian Wars involved a prolonged battle between Greece and Persia between 429 BC and 449 BC. The wars consisted of two large Persian invasions and a series of legendary battles. The main reason for the invasions appears to be the concern of the security of the western border of the Persian Empire.

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There were other civilizations besides the ancient Greeks located around the Mediterranean Sea. One was ancient Egypt. Another was one of the most powerful and well organized civilizations of the time. It was called the Persian Empire.

The Persian Empire was huge. It started in Turkey and stretched all the way to the ancient Indus River Valley. The Greeks still had outposts in Turkey. The Greeks sent supplies to help some of these city-states in their struggle to remain independent. The Persians did not appreciate that.

The Persians sent warriors to the Greek peninsula to squash the Greeks. They attempted three times to conquer the Greeks at the famous battles of Marathon, Thermopylae, and Salamis. Each time, the Greeks drove them away.

Xerxes, the Persian King, could not believe that the tiny Greeks had defeated his capable warriors. After the second loss, Xerxes got mad. Conquering the Greeks was no longer his goal. He wanted them wiped out entirely. To do so, he sent a huge number of Persian ships to the Greek peninsula. He was so sure he was going to win this third battle that he had his servants bring his chair along to the war. Xerxes and some of his friends sat in comfort at the top of a cliff overlooking the Greek harbor, so they could watch the Greeks die.

Instead, Xerxes watched his own men die. The Greeks had small ships. They moved quickly. They tossed burning wood aboard the huge, cumbersome Persian ships. The Persian ships quickly caught fire. The Persians had to abandon ship. Those Persians who made it to shore were met by the terrifying Spartan army. It was a slaughter. Xerxes escaped, but most of the Persians warriors were killed.

The Greek city-states are dots in the yellow area. Each dot is one city-state. The Persian empire is in purple. It's amazing that the Greeks pushed back successfully against Persia, not once, not twice, but three times!

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The Persian Wars for Kids and Teachers, Ancient Greece - Ancient Greece for Kids

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There were other civilizations besides the ancient Greeks located around the Mediterranean Sea. One was ancient Egypt. Another was one of the most powerful and well organized civilizations of the time. It was called the Persian Empire. The Persian Empire was huge. It started in Turkey and stretched all the way to the ancient Indus River Valley.