Ancient Greece
Battle of Salamis
480 B.C.E.
Essential Standards
• 6.G.1 Understand geographic factors that
influenced the emergence, expansion and
decline of civilizations, societies and regions
(i.e. Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas)
over time.
• 6.C&G.1Understand the development of
government in various civilizations, societies
and regions.
Clarifying Objectives
• 6.G.1.1 Explain how the physical features and human
characteristics of a place influenced the development of
civilizations, societies and regions (e.g., location near rivers
and natural barriers, trading practices and spread of
culture).
• 6.G.1.3 Compare distinguishing characteristics of various
world regions (e.g., physical features, culture, political
organization and ethnic make-up).
• 6.C&G.1.1 Explain the origins and structures of various
governmental systems (e.g., democracy, absolute monarchy
and constitutional monarchy).
Essential Questions
• Which NATURAL BARRIER did Themistocles to
defeat the Persians in the Battle of Salamis?
• Why would the Athenians choose to live in a
region that had NATURAL BARRIERS?
• How does the region of Greece’s physical features
help Ancient Greece in their famous battles?
• What is a DEMOCRACY?
Greek Trireme Ships
• Ancient Greece’s secret
weapon
• Greek war ships that
were made from Oak…
① Light
② Fast
③ Easy to Steer
• http://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=mhTETJmFdM
• 7:04-7:54
Admiral Themistocles
• Admiral Themistocles
was a Greek sea captain
• He was the leader of
the Greek Navy
• He was the last chance
for Ancient Greece to
fend off the Persians
Persians were Coming
• Persians had made it
past Leonidas & his 300
men and were coming
straight for Athens
• A decision had to be
made to stay in Athens
and fight or to run to
escape the Persians
Oracle @ Delphi
• An Oracle was a person that
the Greek God communicated
to humans through
• Delphi was a mountain where
the Oracle lived
• Oracles were usually young
women that had been heavily
drugged
• Oracles were often consulted
before an important decision
was made
Oracle @ Delphi
• Athenians always
consulted the Oracle
per cultural tradition
before they went to
battle to see if it is a
good idea or not
• When asked the Oracle
replied “the walls of
wood will remain
unsacked”
Athenians were Afraid
• Athenians wanted to run to
the Island of Salamis
• Themistocles however
called them cowards and
said the “walls of wood”
were the ships he had built
• Nobody believed him and
they all left Athens to seek
nearby protection on the
island of Salamis
Athens Burns
• Persians attacked from the
North after their finally
getting through the
mountains at Thermopylae
• They reached Athens and
nobody was there
• They burned the whole city
all the way to the ground
• Xerxes was victorious
Finishing the Greeks
• Not satisfied with
burning down Athens
Xerxes wanted to finish
the Greeks
• He took his ships and
sailed to the bay of
Salamis to finish the
Greeks
Admiral Themistocles
• Admiral Themistocles
takes charge
• He begins by organizing
all of the Greek Trireme
Ships
• Then he sends one of his
slaves to Xerxes to tell
him that the Greeks were
about to run
Xerxes falls for the Trick
• Instead of attacking that
day Xerxes sets up his
ships to cut off all escape
routes so the Greeks
cannot escape
• He spends the night
blocking all escape routes
• This tired out all the
Persian sailors
Xerxes Climbs a Hill
• Xerxes so confident in final
victory climbs a hill to watch
the battle from above
• All of Xerxes Naval Captains
advise him to attack the
Greeks except one
• The only woman Naval
Captain Artemisia warned
not to attack the Greeks
Queen Artemisia
• Queen Artemisia was the
only woman Naval
Commander that the
Persians had
• She was a Greek Queen
who had been captured by
Xerxes Army and forced to
fight for them
• She knew that Greek Naval
strategies & knew that it
was not a good idea to
attack
Xerxes Attacks
• Xerxes attacks sailing into
the strait of Salamis
• That is where the Greek
Navy waits for him
• Xerxes is quickly trapped
and even though he has 3
times as many ships they
cannot move
• http://www.youtube.com
/watch?v=3CJT_v1Ukbg
Essential Questions
• Get with a partner and answer…
• Which NATURAL BARRIER did Themistocles to
defeat the Persians in the Battle of Salamis?
• Why would the Athenians choose to live in a
region that had NATURAL BARRIERS?
• How does the region of Greece’s physical features
help Ancient Greece in their famous battles?
Gridlocked
• Xerxes ships become
Gridlocked and they
cannot move without
smashing into another
one of his ships
• Themistocles surrounds
Xerxes ships and
annihilates them
Ancient Greece wins at Salamis
• Themistocles & Ancient
Greece wins at Salamis
• A furious but defeated
Xerxes realizes that
Greece will never be his
• Greece has kept their
independence from the
largest Empire of Earth
With Victory comes Culture
• Greece is able to keep
their culture intact
• They are able to keep
their Democratic
Government intact
• Greece’s culture shapes
the future culture of all
the Western World
Essential Questions
• Get with a partner and answer…
• What is a DEMOCRACY?
Important Points
• 6.G.1.1 (Natural Barriers)
Themistocles uses the Strait
of Salamis as a Natural
Barrier to protect his ships
and force Persia’s ships into
gridlock
• 6.G.1.3 (distinguishing
characteristic of regions
[physical features]) Most of
Greece has mountains
which played an important
role in Ancient Greece’s
famous battles
• 6.C&G.1.1 (Democracy)
Ancient Greece is the
birthplace of democracy
where the people/citizens
vote on decisions