GREEKS
AIM – defeat the Persians to secure control of
the sea so that Persians couldn’t get around
the Pass at Isthmus
PLAN – made effective use of narrow
waterways and detached Egyptian squadron
(see below)
ADV – Appropriate ships & knew water ways
well.
Disadv – Unity of Greeks was questionable –
fewer numbers
Leaders: Eurybiades (Spartan) and
Themistocles
Outcome: Victory! – Thus boosted Athenian
moral – major turning point in the wars
KEY EVENTS
1. Initial dispute as to best location to fight
2. Eurybiades held a war council – most in favour
of fighting at the Isthmus as Salamis was
considered too risky – Themistocles argued for
a stance at Salamis
3. Reasons:
a. Narrow, restricted waterways gave Greek
triremes advantage
b. Salamis crowded with Athenian refugees 
more defence
c. If Greeks successful Persians wouldn’t be
able to advance onto the Peloponnese
4. Themistocles threatened Eurybiades with the
removal of Athenian ships if the fight was not
at Salamis
5. According to Herodotus the Greek
commanders met at Salamis and argued about
whether to fight or retreat. Themistocles sent
a secret message to Xerxes stating that the
Greeks were disunited and were going to flee.
6. Xerxes sent Egyptian squadron to sail around
Salamis and block it so Greeks couldn’t escape
and the remaining Persians sailed to other
positions
7. Greek squadrons were already waiting hidden
behind 2 promontories and destroyed the
Egyptians
8. Greeks and Persians attacked in the narrows
of Salamis – ships rammed each others and
many Persians drowned.
PERSIANS
AIM – Gain control of sea and defeat
Greeks
PLAN – defeat Greeks through + numbers
ADV – Larger fleet
DISADV – little knowledge of the seas, large
ships awkward in narrow waters
Leaders: Xerxes
Outcome: lost the battle – began the
Persian forces demise throughout the
course of the wars.
BATTLE OF
SALAMIS
480BC
Reasons for Victory:
Narrow waterways favoured
Greek ships.
Persians taken by surprise
Persian fleet severely
weakened by removal of
Egyptian squadron
Triremes more agile than
Persian ships
Themistocles understood the
importance of naval power, 
advantage of the Bay of
Salamis
EFFECTS:
Saved Peloponnese and
developed Athens into a naval
power
Persian loss of ships left their
army without a supply line
Major humiliation for Xerxes
HOWEVER:
Xerxes still achieved
destruction of Athens
Persian army undefeated on
Greek soil
Xerxes in control of
central/northern Greece
SOURCES
BRADLEY: “Themistocles: ‘Fighting in a
confined space favours us but the open
sea favours the enemy… In this war
everything depends upon the fleet. I
beg you to take my advice; if you
refuse, we will immediately put our
families aboard and sail for Siris in
Italy’”
“The enemy was in hopeless confusion;
such ships as offered resistance or tried
to escape were cut to pieces by the
Athenians” (Herodotus).
“The Persians, under the eyes of their
king, fought with bravery, but they
were badly generalled and the place of
combat was unfavourable to them”
(Bury and Meiggs)
It prevented the Persians from sailing
against the Peloponnese and
destroying the cities one by one; for no
system of mutual defence could have
been organised in the face of the
Persian naval superiority… the fate of
Hellas depended on her navy”
(Thucydides).
“Salamis was a victory too for the
Athenian system of government. It
proved to the Greek world that a
democratic system could defeat an
autocratic power” (Bradley).