Uniting Against Persians

Chapter 8, Section 2.3 Main Idea: City-states in ancient Greece united to drive back invasions by the Persian Empire

Vocab:

Alliances:

Triremes:

Strait: Ionia Ionian Revolt

In 546 B.C., the Persian Empire conquered Ionia

- Ionia is an area of Greek colonies on the west coast of present-day Turkey - Life under Persian rule wasn’t too harsh but they wanted their independence back - In 499 B.C., the Ionians rebelled with the support of Athens

The Persians crushed the revolt in 494 B.C.

Battle at Marathon

Emperor Darius I of Persia vowed revenge against Athens for helping Ionia

In 490 B.C., the Persian army landed at Marathon, just over 24 miles east of Athen

- The Greeks were outnumbered two to one, so they needed to be clever - The Greek general Militiades ordered his troops to lock shields and run at the Persians standing in formation - The Greeks charged the Persians at a run and surprised them, successfully forcing them back to their ships and claiming victory Modern Day Marathon

According to one legend, upon defeating the Persians at Marathon, the Greek general Militiades sent his best runner to Athens to deliver the news about the victory. After he delivered the news, the runner collapsed and died.

The distance from Marathon to Athens is a little over 24 miles. Today, when there is a marathon race the distance is 26.2 miles. Defeat of the Persian Empire

In 480 B.c., 10 years later, the new Persian Emperor Xerxes invaded Athens

- Hundreds of ships and over 150,000 soldiers Persian soldiers - Athenians had formed an alliance with other Greek city-states (including Sparta) - Athenians needed more time to prepare for battle so King Leonidas of Sparta and his small army occupied the important mountain pass of Thermopylae and fought off the Persians

At the Battle of Salamis, a small fleet of Greek triremes faced the Persian navy

- The Greeks lured the Persians into a trap at the strait at Salamis and destroyed nearly ⅓ of the Persian fleet

Defeat of the Persian Empire (continued)

In 479 B.C., a large and united Greek army defeated the Persians at the Battle of Plataea

- The Persians left Greece and never invaded again - However, the war flared on and off for a few more decades, but Greece was safe

Athens and Sparta are the most powerful city-states at this time Review Questions

1. How were the Greeks able to defeat the Persians at the Battle of Salamis?

2. How did the size of the Greek army contrast with that of the Persians?

3. Why do you think triremes were effective warships?