Greece and Persian Wars
7) The advantages that the Greek Hoplites had over the Persian soldiers include:
 Body Armour – the Hoplites wore body armour and helmets but the Persians did not.
 Shields – Persians did not carry shields but the Greeks did.
 Battle formation – with shields and body armour, the Greek Hoplites had a more
effective battle formation
8)
Time
Event
The Beginning of the Persian war
499 BC
Anatolia Revolt– the Athenians assist the Anatolia revolt
against the Persians
492 BC
Failed Persian Attack – seeking revenge, the Persian ruler,
King Darius, sent a fleet to attack Athens. Failed when the
fleet was wrecked in a storm
The First Persian Invasion of Greece
The Persians sail to Attica – King Darius sends a letter
ordering the Athenians submit to him. Athenians refuse.
Persians attack Eretria and take control. They sail to Attica.
490 BC
Battle of Marathon – on the same year, the Persians land
at Marathon. The Athenians try to prevent the Persians
from getting to Athens. The Athenians succeed and
eliminates the Persian invasion fleet. Marks the end of the
First Persian Invasion of Greece.
The Second Persian Invasion of Greece
486 BC
480 BC
Xerxes amasses army – after the death of King Darius, his
successor, King Xerxes, vows to destroy Athens. He
amasses an enormous army and sails towards Greece.
Battle of Thermopylae – the Spartan King leads a small
army of Greeks to block the Persian army at the pass of
Thermopylae. They are heavily outnumbered and
ultimately are defeated. The Persian army can now freely
march to Athens.
Battle of Artemisium – this battle happened at the same
time as the Battle of Thermopylae. However, this time, the
battle was fought at sea. The Greek fleet were also heavily
outnumbered and suffered many losses. Greek fleet
retreat to the Strait of Salamis.
Battle of Salamis – King Xerxes is getting very confident
that the Persians will win the war. He commands all his
479 BC
479 BC +
ships to attack the Greek fleet at the Strait of Salamis.
However, the Persians fall into a Greek trap. The strait was
too narrow for the Persian to flee so the Greek Triremes
could repeatedly ram the Persian ships. The Persian fleet
was defeated.
Battle of Plataea – 100 000 Greek soldiers attacked the
remaining Persian army at Plataea. Persians were
annihilated. Few returned back to Persia. This battle
marked the end of the Second Persian Invasion of Greece
and also the victory of the Persian war to the Greeks.
Persians and Greeks continue to fight for many years....
9) a) The reason for the Persian war was that the Gods supported the Athenians.
b) I think the Persians might have agreed with the reason because they would want an excuse for
losing the war. The Greeks were clearly the underdogs but somehow the Persians lost. So therefore
the Persian would like to blame the Gods for the lost and not themselves!
10) The sentence “To meet the threat of the Persian invasion, thirty-one Greek city-states agreed to
stop all their quarrels and unite against the invaders” was supported by Herodotus’ words in Source
E.