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Persia was founded by Cyrus The Great, which was the largest empire in the world. Cyrus the Great was taking land but letting people stay in their religion. They respected him which meant that he was able to get more land. 

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Ionian Greeks rebelled against Persia to gain independence, and Athens sent aid to help the Ionian Greeks. Persia defeated the Ionian rebels and wanted revenge on Athens for interfering

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Darius assembled an army of 20,000 to invade Greece in 490 BCE. The Persian fleet landed at Marathon, about 25 miles from Athens. The outnumbered Athenians defeated the Persians at the Battle of Marathon

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Darius dies and his son Xerxes takes power in Persia, and he begins planning an invasion of Greece to avenge their defeat. Xerxes set out in the spring of 480 BCE with supposedly the largest army ever assembled.

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Xerxes takes power in Persia massive army crossed the Hellespont into Europe from Asia An alliance of city-states forms to defend Greece

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Athens builds a massive navy. Xerxes’ route would require the army to travel through a narrow pass at Thermopylae. Spartan King Leonidas & 300 elite warriors volunteer to meet them there Leonidas & the Spartans hold off the Persians for 7 days. Eventually they are all killed