THE PERSIAN WARS
Do Now
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Take out your Lesson 9.1 Questions
Answer the following questions:
Which empire was a growing threat to Greece?
What league was formed in order to defend
against them?
Persia
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Persia had an enormous empire that stretched from
what is now India in the east to Egypt in the west.
It also had gained control over the Greek cities
along the coast of Asia Minor.
Persia
Rebellion
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499 B.C. – Greek city-states in Asia Minor rebelled
against Persia.
They burned Sardis, the western capital of the
Persian Empire.
Athens sent a small fleet of ships to help the
rebelling Greeks; the Persians crushed this.
Sardis
Darius I
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This angered the Persian leader, Darius I.
He sent a huge army across land and sea to
conquer the Greeks.
Forces were stopped short when a storm wrecked
the Persian fleet.
Darius I
Battle of Marathon
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2 years later, Darius attacked again, just outside
Marathon, 26 miles north of Athens.
He outnumbered the Greeks 2 to 1, and the
worried Athenians sent word to Sparta for help.
Fearing the Spartans would arrive too late, the
Athenian general took a chance.
Greek City States
Battle of Marathon (Continued)
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He ordered the hoplites to line up facing the
invaders as usual, but he packed the wings, or the
far end of the line, tightly with soldiers.
When the Persians attacked the middle of the line
and pushed forward, the Greek wings moved in to
surround the Persians.
The much smaller Greek force trapped the mighty
Persians and defeated them.
Marathon Formation
Marathon Formation
Greek Legend
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A Greek legend tells about a messenger running
all the way from Marathon to Athens to report the
Greek victory over the Persians. After completing
the 26 mile-run to Athens, the messenger died while
proclaiming victory. In his honor, the Greeks added
a 26-mile race called a marathon to the Olympic
Games.
Marathon Route
Battle of Thermopylae
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Xerxes was Darius’s son.
480 B.C. – he led an expedition of about 200,000
soldiers and more than 600 ships to conquer Greek
territory.
The Greeks prepared with 200 ships in Athens’s
navy, and Sparta and the Peloponnesian League on
land.
Xerxes
Xerxes (300 rendition)
Battle of Thermopylae (continued)
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Small Greek force fought Xerxes’ army at a
mountain pass called Thermopylae.
Greeks defended this until the last soldier fell;
Persians broke through, captured Athens, and set the
city on fire.
Battle of Salamis
• Meanwhile the Athenian navy withdrew to a narrow straight
between the Greek coastline and the island of Salamis.
Battle of Salamis
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The Persian ships far outnumbered the Greeks, but
their ships were too large to turn quickly in the
narrow straight.
The lighter, faster Greek ships rammed into the
Persian ships and sank them.
The Greeks destroyed about 200 ships, and Xerxes
returned to Asia Minor.
Battle of Salamis
Battle of Salamis Map
Battle of Plataea
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On land, the Spartans led the Greek army to
victory in the Battle of Plataea.
Although an official peace agreement would not be
made for another 30 years, the Persian threat to
mainland Greece had been quieted.
Battle of Plataea
Delian League
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After the Persian Wars began, Athens and about 150
city-states formed an alliance called the Delian League.
They vowed to fight the Persians and free the Greek
lands still under Persian rule.
The members also agreed to pay tribute to Athens in
the form of money or ships.
In return, Athens promised to protect the city-states with
its powerful navy.
Delian League
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467 B.C. – The Battle of Eurymedon River: the
league freed several Greek city-states, pushing the
Persians away from the Aegean.
Together, Athens and Sparta had played their roles
to win the Persian War, but the victory set the stage
for conflict between the two city-states.
Wrap Up
Describe the key people and events of the Persian Wars
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Darius I
Battle of Marathon
Xerxes
Battle of Thermopylae
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Battle of Salamis
Battle of Plataea
Delian League
Battle of the Eurymedon
River