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Home , Aristides, Battle of Marathon, Battle of Salamis, Delian League, Miltiades, Saronic Gulf

ANCIENT HISTORY

500 – 440 BC

Evaluate the contribution of and to the Greek victory over from 490 to 479 BC.

During the Persian Wars a number of personalities arose to challenge the threat from across the Aegean, all of them with personal motivations, strategies, diplomatic initiatives and policies. Greek politics were tense at the time of the Persian wars as reports,“Among the Athenian commanders opinion was divided”. Some of the prominent personalities of both and include , Themistocles, Leonidas, Miltiades and Pausanius. However it was Miltiades and Themistocles that made the greatest contribution to Greek Victory. Both Miltiades and Themistocles used their prior experience as well as thought out tactics to outplay the ‘unbeatable’ Persian army. Separately, these two personalities successfully led the to victory through the battles of and Salamis, as well as a number of significant catalysts. Despite this, the contribution of Themistocles to the Persian Wars may have been greater than that of Miltiades due to the lasting effect his changes made to the entire war effort but this may have been due to the length of their time in power.

Miltiades was not always respected by his Athenian counterparts as previous to the Persian Wars he had acted as vassal to the Persian King, Darius I. The Ionian Revolt proved a great turning point for many Greeks who were under Persian influence. Miltiades joined the revolt and returned to Athens but was imprisoned for the crime of tyranny with the sentence of death. However, he was able to prove himself anti-Persian and was released. From this point, Miltiades position in Greek Politics rose as he was elected as one of the ten strategoi for Athens in 490BC. As Miltiades had first hand evidence of Persian fighting tactics he was the one of the main at the along with Callimarchus. At the bay of Marathon Miltiades used his previously gained knowledge from his time with King Darius to formulate effective tactics to defeat the Persians, which greatly outnumbered the Greeks. Miltiades knew that the Persians situated their elite fighters in the centre of the ranks, so by situating the elite Greek soldiers on the wings when the elite Persians ‘broke though’ the elite Greeks could encircle them. To the surprise of numerous other Athenian Politicians this strategy was perfect resulting in the death of, as Herodotus reports, ‘6400 Persians and 192 Greeks’. This was the first major victory for the Greeks over the Persians, which proved an iconic win for Athens When evaluating the battle it becomes evident that although the Persians lost, they may have gained more from the Battle of Marathon than the Greeks did. The Persians gained knowledge of Greek tactics, armour and had plausible motivation for revenge on Athens. Along with this a casualty of 6400 was only a minor setback for the Persian Army which was rumoured at around 200 000 or 2 million. In contrast the Greeks achieved confidence and the probability of Athens as the leading Greek City State, it also demystified the Persians and proved they were beatable. The Greek population loved Miltiades for the victory at Marathon because of the new view it created of the Persians. Not only does this celebration highlight the slight desperation of the Greeks but it also illuminates their lack of defence, as after the battle they may no extra effort to protect themselves. Still, Herodotus states that the “already high reputation of Miltiades in Athens greatly increased” and he led an expedition against a group of Greek islands that were deemed to be Persian supporters. However, this was not a successful mission and Miltiades was badly wounded. Due to the dismal outcome of his last campaign Miltiades was accused of treason and was imprisoned with the penalty of death, however he died in prison so his son and future politician, was left with a fine of 50 talents. The contribution of Miltiades was morally huge for Athens however he was only in a position of power for one year, leaving him with little opportunity for recovery both physically and politically. The death of Miltiades left a vacancy for Athens to fill and also an opportunity for Themistocles.

Two men, Themistocles and Aristides, fell into the vacuum left by Miltiades. This power struggle was evident through the frequent from 488 onwards. described the two men as ‘…passionate beyond all moderation’, which highlights not only these politicians intense personal trust and policy but also the differing views from and Herodotus on Themistocles. Thucydides was ‘pro-Themistocles’ where as Herodotus has a differing opinion. Herodotus claims that Themistocles was ‘always enriching himself’ where as Thucydides claims Themistocles ‘obviously…saved us’. Despite these differing accounts of Themistocles he instigated a number of new plans including expansion of the navy, the evacuation of Athens, geographically advantaged strategy and the Hellenic League. At this time, a new silver mine was discovered at which provided much needed funds for the battle against Persia. Aristides suggested that the money be distributed amongst the Athenian citizens but Themistocles suggested that 200 new ships be built. The rivalry between the two politicians grew and Aristides was ostracized and Themistocles plans were endorsed (493 BC). These new ships potentially won the Persian Wars for as the Navy enabled for battles away from the strong Persian . Along with these new ships, Themistocles instigated the use of the Thetes as rowers. Thetes were the lowest Greek classes who were inducted in Greek Society by in 594BC. The Battle of was the first naval battle fought by Themistocles’ new navy, however it was inconclusive. The real turning point of the Persian Wars occurred at the naval . Themistocles instigated clever use of geography and strategy to defeat the Persians, despite their larger numbers. The small straits of the inhibited Persian movement and allowed the Greeks to control the battle. The Battle of Salamis resulted in the cutting off of Persian supply lines paving the path for the second Persian Wars. At the battles of and Mycale in 479BC the Persian threat was defeated via land and sea due to the previous plans instigated by Themistocles, particularly the build up of the navy. Themistocles’ contribution to the Persian Wars is principally evident as his policies and plans not only instigated victory in the first Persian War but also the Second Persian Wars. He also potentially saved thousands of Athenian civilians by evacuating the city. Themistocles was ostracized in 472 or 471 BC giving him a position in power for around 20 years. Through the instigation of the navy Themistocles not only won the battle of Salamis but played a crucial role in the overall Greek victory in the Persian Wars through the cutting off of supply lines and devastation of Persian numbers. This is different to the contribution by Miltiades of confidence and tactical information for the Persians. However the reign of Themistocles out numbers that of Miltiades by around 20 years, leaving Themistocles with more time for more complex policies and strategies.

Both Miltiades and Themistocles used their previous knowledge of Persian tactics to provide Greece a victory, but they both provide different victories. Both politicians allowed the Greeks to demystify the Persians and gain an upper hand in the wars. The development of the navy allowed the Greeks to not only win the Persian Wars but also to instigate the and eventually create the Athenian . With respect to the length of their reigns the two men both contributed greatly to the Persian Wars.