NAME: PERIOD: Task: Read ~ Write ~ Respond Use your Split note-taking skills GRECO-PERSIAN WARS B.C. 499 TO 479 As many historians have suggested, the Greco-Persian Wars were a David and Goliath struggle with David holding out for political and intellectual liberty against the monolithic theocratic Persian war machine. When the Persians annexed Ionia in about 545, acquiring a foothold on the Aegean, the strongest city state in mainland Greece is Sparta. None of the Greek states risk an armed excursion in defense of the Ionians, but the Spartans do send a message to the Persian emperor, Cyrus, warning him to keep away from Greece. His reply, as reported, suggests genuine bewilderment. 'Who are the Spartans?', he asks. The Persian War is one of the most famous, and most fascinating wars in human history. It was fought in the fifth century BC between Persian Empire, far and away the largest and wealthiest kingdom on earth, and a collection of independent Greek cities who lived in relative poverty and obscurity. The Greeks had not a fraction of the wealth or population of the Persians, and were themselves disunited and engaged in perpetual conflicts, yet they soundly defeated the Persians and retained their independence and freedoms. The Persian war was remarkable not only for its ferocious battles, which showcased the superiority of Greek military methods, but also for the striking personalities involved, the democratic character of the military command, and the ability of the fractious Greeks to drop their strong divisions and unite behind a single cause. It is a popular war to study, not only because of its striking military engagements and historical significance but also for the great human dramas that were played out behind the scenes. The most famous battles of the Persian war were fought on mainland Greece, but the conflict began in Asia minor, when the Greek colonies of Ionia, revolted against their Persian overlords. This rebellion was called the Ionian revolt, and lasted from BC 499, to 494. It began when rebels, under the leadership of a Aristagoras of Miletus, sacked and burned the local capital city of Sardis, and ended when the Persians retook Miletus and crushed the rebel stronghold, after the naval battle of Lade. Darius I., the Persian king was very incensed that Athens had lent ships and military support to the rebellion, and determined to raise an army to invade Athens to punish it for its interference. During his campaigns to put down the rebellion, he had conquered much of Thrace and Macedonia, and so he already controlled much of the territory he would need to launch an invasion from the north. The first expedition he prepared was led by his son-in-law Mardonius, in 492. It crossed the Hellespont into Thrace, but the entire fleet was destroyed by a sudden storm off the Chalcidice Peninsula, and he returned to Persia.
**Refer to the map at the end of the packet Battle of Sardis Ionian Greeks defeat Persians Battle of Ephesus Persians defeat Ionian Greeks Battle of Lade Persians defeat Ionian Greeks In 498 the Greek cities of Asia minor revolted from Persia, and burned Sardis, the regional capital, to the ground. Fought 499 B.C., between the Athenians and Ionians, under Aristagorus, and the Persians, under Artaphernes. The Greeks who were retreating to the coast after burning Sardis, were overtaken by the pursuing Persians, under the walls of Ephesus, and signally defeated. The Athenians thereupon withdrew their fleet, and took no further part in the war. Fought B.C. 494, between a Persian fleet of 600 sail, which was blockading Miletus under Artaphernes, and 353 Lesbian, Chian and Samian ships, which attempted to raise the siege. The Samians, bribed by the Persians, deserted at the beginning of the action, with the exception of 11 vessels, and the Greeks were totally defeated, with heavy loss. The Chians made a specially gallant fight. 1. WHAT UNITED THE GREEKS TO RISE UP AGAINST A SUPERIOR ENEMY? 2. WHO WAS THE AGGRESSOR DURING THE FIRST GRECO-PERSIAN WAR? 3. WHAT ASSUMPTIONS CAN WE MAKE AS FOR PERSIAN HOSTILTIY TOWARDS THE GREEKS? WHAT WERE THEY AFTER?
SECOND PERSIAN INVASION (UNDER DARIUS): 490 B.C. Darius launched his second expedition in 490. This time, the entire invading force, including cavalry, was sent by ship across the Aegean Sea. The expedition was led by Artaphernes and Datis, two Persian commanders who had put down the Ionian rebellion, and Hippias, an exiled Athenian tyrant. The Persians first besieged and captured the main city on the Island of Euboea before landing in Attica on the shore of Marathon. The Athenians, ten thousand strong, were awaiting the arrival of reinforcements from Sparta, but under the influence of Miltiades, a general who had previously been one of the leaders of the Ionian rebellion, they attacked immediately, just as the Persians were breaking camp. Although the Persian forces were much larger, they were surprised and routed with great loss. Marathon was in no sense a decisive victory over the Persians. However, it was the first time the Greeks had bested the Persians on land, and "their victory endowed the Greeks with a faith in their destiny which was to endure for three centuries, during which western culture was born." Greek historian, Herodotus, mentions for several events a date in the lunisolar calendar, of which each Greek city state used a variant. Astronomical computation allows to derive an absolute date in the proleptic Julian calendar which is much used by historians as the chronological frame. August Bšckh in 1855 concluded that the battle took place on 12 September 490 BC in the Julian calendar, and this is the conventionally accepted date. However, this depends on when the Spartans held their festival and it is possible that the Spartan calendar was one month ahead of that of Athens. In that case the battle took place on 12 August 490 BC. If the battle really occurred in August, temperatures in the area can reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit and thus make the marathon run event more plausible. According to the Greek historian Herodotus, who was born in the year of the battle, an Athenian soldier named Pheidippides ran from Athens to Sparta to ask for assistance. This event was later turned into the popular legend that Pheidippides ran from Marathon to Athens. The traditional story relates that Pheidippides, an Athenian herald, ran the 42 km (26 miles) from the battlefield by the town of Marathon to Athens to announce the Greek victory over Persia in the Battle of Marathon (490 BC) with the words "We were victorious" then died on the spot. Siege of Eretria Persians defeat Eretria Battle of Marathon Athenians defeat Persians This town was besieged 490 B.C. when a large Persian force landed on the Island of Euboea and besieged its largest town. The Eretrians appealed to the Athenians for help, but before they could respond, traitors inside the town aided the invaders, and it fell after a short resistance. Fought September 490 B.C., between the Athenians and Plataeans, 10,000 and 1,000 strong respectively, under Miltiades, and the army of Darius Hystaspes, about 100,000 in number, under Datis. Being greatly
outnumbered, Miltiades altered the usual arrangement of the Greek line, so as to extend his wings across the whole width of the valley in which the battle was fought, and thus escape being outflanked. To effect this he was forced to weaken his centre, which was repulsed, but both his wings drove back the invaders, and then fell upon and routed the victorious Persian centre. The Persians fled in confusion to their ships, which they succeeded in launching, and escaped with a loss of 6,400. The Athenians lost 192 only. 1. WHO DOES ATHENS SEEK HELP FROM? 2. HOW AND WHY DID THE PERSIAN WARS INFLUENCE THE RISE OF THE ATHENS? 3. WHAT EVENT DO WE CONTINUE TO CELEBRATE AS A RESULT OF THE PERSIAN WARS?