This is Sparta!!!! How the Spartans Saved the World

This is Sparta!!!! How the Spartans Saved the World

Background City states like Athens had colonized the Ionian region (Western Turkey) before the rise of the Persian Empire. Persians took over the area and the Greek cities had to pay homage. After a few decades the cities asked for help to rebel. Sparta declined to help Athens agreed to help After 20 years, the Ionian Revolt was suppressed. The Persians were miffed at Athens and planned revenge. Darius invaded in 490 BCE but was defeated by the Athenian led army at Marathon. In 480 BCE, Xerxes, the son of Darius, planned to finish what his father had started.

Opening Moves The Persians ruled a huge empire ruled through local governors (Satraps). They were ordered to send forces to Ionia to build an army. In a few years, Xerxes had at his command an army some Greek historians claimed to be in the millions. Most likely it numbered around 120,000 men and upwards of 1,000 ships. This build up was not hidden. The Persian king wanted to intimidate the Greeks into surrendering, or at least offering to stay neutral. This worked as most of the smaller states secretly pledged neutrality to Persia. Everyone wondered about the two biggest states Sparta and Athens.

Greek Preparations The Athenians had spent the previous decade building a navy. Themistocles was the Athenian general who had led the building of a navy. He believed that the Persians would only be defeated if their navy was destroyed. The Spartans tried to send envoys to the Persians to tell them they were not interested in this fight. However, Spartan diplomacy was, at best, rude and so it went nowhere. As word spread of the Persian build up, Spartans debated what they should do.

The Persians Advance Xerxes carried his forces across the Hellespont and moved around the coast towards Athens. He took his time hoping to awe the Greeks into submission. He needed to stay close to the coast so that the ships could keep his soldiers fed. This move spurred the Spartans to try to block the Persians north of Athens.

Leonidas Not much is really known about the man Was supposed to be from a good family Was a king of Sparta. When the Persians invaded, he volunteered to slow the advance as long as possible. He selected a small number of warriors and headed for Thermopylae. An easily defendable pass that was close to the coastline Persians would need to clear it.

Oh yeah the rest of them Legend talks of the 300. They were the last stand group. The Spartans were joined by several thousand allies. Sparta was involved in the Carneian Festival Some were getting ready for the Olympics Some were waiting to see what happened. The Persians attacked in wave after wave until finally they located a local who told them of a trail that led behind the Greeks. When he heard that his defences had been compromised, Leonidas evacuated his army except for the 300 who volunteered to fight on to delay as much as possible. Once totally surrounded, the Spartans and their allies were quickly defeated. Their sacrifice bought enough time for the festival to conclude and some fence sitting states to join against the Persians.

The Rest of the Story The Battle of Thermopylae was a set back to Xerxes. It did represent a point for Greeks to rally. Within weeks of Thermopylae, Athens was sacked and destroyed. Xerxes marched on Sparta but was defeated decisively at the Battle of Salamis and at the Battle of Plataea. With this Xerxes returned home.

Battle of Salamis As the Persians approached Athens, the government headed Themistocles advice and ordered an evacuation of the city. When the Persians arrived they found the city pretty much empty. They killed all they found and burned the city to the ground. The Persians were angry because the Greeks refused to accept the reality of their defeat. When Xerxes heard that the Athenians had sheltered themselves in the Bay of Eleusis he pounced.

The Persians concentrated their fleet on the Bay and waited for the Greeks to make a run. The Athenians refused to come out so Xerxes sent his forces into the narrow channels. This is exactly what the Athenians wanted. In the narrows leading into the Bay they attacked the Persians with around 350 ships. Because of the size of the attacking force, the Persians had no room to manoeuvre their 700 ships. The Athenians used Greek Fire which caused panic among the Persians who began to crash into one another. Within hours the Persians had lost just over 200 ships to the Greeks 40.