4.3
Persia
Attacks
the
Greeks
The Persian Empire
PERSIA BACKGROUND
• Persians were warriors and nomads
who lived in Persia, the southwestern
area of what is today Iran.
• Cyrus the Great united the Persians.
• The Persians built a large empire,
conquering Mesopotamia, Asia Minor,
Syria, Canaan, and Phoenician cities.
PERSIA BACKGROUND
• Darius came to power in 521 B.C.
and reorganized the government.
• The empire under Darius was divided
into satrapies-states, each with a
ruler known as a satrap-a protector
of the kingdom.
• The military of Persia consisted of
full-time, paid soldiers known as
Immortals.
The Persian Wars
• As the Greeks set up colonies in the
Mediterranean area, they often clashed with
the Persians.
• By the mid-500s B.C., Persia already
controlled the Greek cities in Asia Minor.
• In 499 B.C. Athenians helped the Greeks in
Asia Minor rebel against their Persian
rulers….The Greek Rebellion Failed
• After this, King Darius decided to stop the
Greeks from interfering in his empire ever
again.
BATTLE OF MARATHON
• The Battle of Marathon occurred in 490 B.C. on the
plain of Marathon, a short distance from Athens.
• There were 20,000 Persian troops and 10,000 Greek
troops.
• The Persians waited there several days for the
Athenians.
• When they did not come, the Persian commander
ordered the troops back on the boat.
• When the horsemen were on the boat, the Greeks
charged the Persian foot soldiers and defeated them.
• Legend has it, that the Athenians sent a messenger
home with the news. He ran for about 25 miles and
with his last breath yelled, “Victory.” Then he died
• Thus the reason why we called a 26 mile race a
Marathon
The Persian Wars (Continued)
• After Darius’s death,
his son Xerxes
became king.
• He vowed a new
invasion of Greece.
• The Persians had
180,000 troops.
• Athens and Sparta
joined forces to
defend against
Xerxes’s attack.
– Greek Army led by
Leonidas and were
mostly Spartan
– Greek Navy led by
Themistocles and were
mostly Athenian
Battle of Thermopylae
• Greeks knew Persians were marching south for
shipments of food.
• Greek Game Plan: Army of 7000 would meet
Persians at Thermopylae while the Navy attacks
troops transport and supply ships.
– Thermopylae
• Delay Tactic
• Greek Traitor, gives Persians alternate route through mountains
• Leonidas, Spartan warrior, sends all but a few hundred troops
to safety
• 300-800 men wait in a mountain pass for Persians
• Hold off Persians long enough for ALL GREEKS to get
out of Athens
– Salamis
• Greek Navy attacks supply lines and destroys Persians naval
force at the Strait of Salamis
• Able to do this because they had fast ships that could maneuver
quickly through the narrow pass.
Battle of Plataea
• Greeks in Crete
– Have a Persian army
in Greece with no
supplies and no
reinforcements.
– Greek navy and
people congregated
in Crete.
– While in Crete in 479
they form the largest
Greek Army and head
back to Mainland
Greece.
– They attack the
Persians at Plataea
and the Greek defeat
the Persians.
The Persian Wars
•
Marathon (490 BCE)
– 26 miles from Athens, Greek victory
•
Thermopylae (480 BCE)
– 300+ Spartans at the Mountain pass,
Persian victory
•
Salamis (480 BCE)
– Athenian navy victorious
•
Plateau (479 BCE)
– Greek victory
Fall of the Persian Empire
• The Persian Empire fell for several reasons.
– The Persians were weakened by war, and their
rulers taxed the people and spent the money
lavishly.
– Persian royal families fought over who was to
be king. Many kings were killed by family
members who wanted the throne
– Persian kings had many wives and children and
all of the sons were constantly trying to take
over the throne
– 6 of 9 rulers after Darius were murdered
CFU
• Why did Darius want to fight the
Greeks?
• He wanted revenge on the Greeks
because they were trying to rebel
against his rule over Persian colonies
CFU
• What was the 1st battle of the
Persian wars?
• Marathon
CFU
• Why was the Battle of Thermopylae
only a delay tactic?
• They knew defeating the Persians
was impossible, they only want to
delay them so that the Greek Navy
had time to get to Salamis and cut
off the supply lines.
CFU
• While in Crete what did the Greeks
do?
• They formed the strongest and
largest army ever known to go back
to Greece and fight the Persian
CFU
• What is the historical significance of
the Battle of “Marathon”
• We call a 26 mile race a “marathon”
because after the Greeks defeated
the Persians a man raced back to
Athens to tell of the news. He ran
about 25-26 miles