Year 5 History: Ancient Greek & Persian Wars
The Persian Wars were a series of wars fought between the Persians and the Greeks from 492 BC to 449 BC.
Who were the Persians? The Persian Empire was the largest and most powerful empire in the world at the time of the Persian Wars. They controlled land that stretched from Egypt all the way to India.
Who were the Greeks? The Greeks were made up of a number of city-states, such as Sparta and Athens. Typically these city-states fought each other, but they united to fight against the Persians.
Who were the Ionians? The Ionians were Greeks that lived along the coast of Turkey. They were conquered by the Persians. When the Ionians decided to revolt, they asked Athens and other Greek cities for help. The other Greek cities sent ships and weapons, but were quickly defeated. The Persians didn't like this and decided to conquer the rest of the Greek cities in order to keep them under control.
First Invasion of Greece Darius I, King of Persia, decided he wanted to conquer the Greeks in 490 BC. He gathered a vast army of soldiers that outnumbered any army the Greeks could put together. They boarded the Persian fleet and headed to Greece.
Battle of Marathon The Persian fleet landed at the Bay of Marathon, about 25 miles from the city of Athens. The Persians had a lot more soldiers, but they underestimated the fighting capability of the Greeks. The army of Athens defeated the Persian army killing around 6,000 Persians and only losing 192 Greeks.
After the battle, the Athenian army ran the 25 miles back to Athens in order to prevent the Persians from attacking the city. This is the origin of the Marathon running race.
Second Invasion of Greece Ten years later, in 480 BC, the son of Darius I, King Xerxes, decided to get his revenge on the Greeks. He organised a huge army of over 200,000 soldiers and 1,000 warships.
Battle of Thermopylae The Greeks put together a small force, led by the Spartan King Leonidas I and 300 Spartans. They decided to meet the Persians at a narrow pass in the mountains called Thermopylae. The Greeks held off the Persians, killing thousands, until the Persians found a way around the mountains and got behind the Greeks. King Leonidas told most of his troops to flee, but stayed behind with a small force, including his 300 Spartans, in order to allow the rest of the Greek army to escape. The Spartans fought to the death, killing as many Persians as they could.
Battle of Salamis The Persian army continued to march on Greece. When they arrived at the city of Athens, they found it deserted. The people of Athens had fled. The Athenian fleet, however, was waiting off the coast by the island of Salamis.
The much larger Persian fleet attacked the small Athenian ships. They were sure of victory. However, the Athenian ships, called triremes, were fast and could turn around easily . They rammed into the sides of the large Persian ships and sunk them. They soundly defeated the Persians, causing Xerxes to retreat back to Persia.
1
Year 5 History: Ancient Greek & Persian Wars
Interesting Facts about the Persian Wars
• After the first invasion, the Athenians built up a mighty fleet of ships called triremes. • The Persian Empire would eventually be conquered by the Greeks under the leadership of Alexander the Great. • Xerxes, king of Persia, had his golden throne carried along so he could watch the Greeks be defeated by his army from a nearby hillside. He must have been pretty disappointed!
NOW ANSWER THE QUESTIONS:
1) Who fought each other in the Persian Wars?
a. Sparta and Athens
b. The Greeks and the Persians
c. The Romans and the Greeks
d. The Egyptians and the Spartans
e. Macedonia and the Assyrians
2) What was the deciding battle during the first invasion of Greece by the Persians? a. Battle of Thermopylae
b. Battle of Athens
c. Battle of Rhodes
3) True or False: The Persian Empire was the largest empire in the world and their forces greatly outnumbered the Greeks.
a. True b. False
4) Who were Darius I and Xerxes? a. Generals for the army of Sparta b. Leaders of the city of Athens c. The greatest of the Greek warriors d. Emperors of Persia e. Kings of Sparta
5) Which of the below statements is true about the Battle of Thermopylae?
a. The Greeks were led by the Spartan king Leonidas I
b. Three hundred Spartans held off thousands of Persians
c. The Persians won the battle
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
6) How much time passed between the first and second invasions of the Persians? a.1 year b.3 years
2
Year 5 History: Ancient Greek & Persian Wars
c. 10 years d. 20 years e. 50 years
7) What happened at the Battle of Salamis?
a. The Greeks were soundly defeated
b. The fast and manoeuvrable Athenian fleet defeated the Persian fleet c. The Persians defeated the Spartans and captured the city of Sparta d. The Corinthians came to the rescue of Athens
e. The Athenian army ran 25 miles to save the city of Athens
8) What did the Persians find when they arrived at the city of Athens during the second invasion?
a. The city was deserted
b. A huge army of the united Greek city-states
c. A fortified city ready to withstand a long siege
d. A city that was ready to surrender and become part of the Persian Empire
e. The city had been burned down and destroyed
9) What were triremes? a. Spartan warriors who used spears and shields b. A type of Persian siege equipment used to take down city walls c. Fast ships used by the Athenian fleet d. Soldiers who used long bows to attack from a distance e. Special forces in the Persian army
10) Who were the Ionians? a. Egyptian mercenaries who fought for the Persians b. Greeks that lived along the coast of Turkey c. Soldiers from the city of Corinth d. All of the above e. None of the above
b 10 9c 8a 7b years 10 6. d 5 4d 3a 2e b 1 nswers: A
3