Ancient Greek HistorY and Wars

Cyrus the Great of the Persian Wars

539 BC, called himself the King of Kings ruled all of West Asia conquered Ionia raised Ionia’s taxes and imposed tyrants Ionians- unhappy about this

Cyrus' Son, Cambyses

conquered Egypt also conquered some Greek islands between Anatolia and Greece in 522 BC, conquered the important island of Samos.

Darius Cambyses was killed-Darius became king wanted to conquer something too 514 BC, decided to attack the Scythians, north of the Black Sea perhaps to weaken the Greeks lost war-- Scythians retreated, but burned all their food before leaving Darius' army could find nothing to eat; forced to go home to Persia.

Who Would Persia Attack Next?

many thought: Thebes, Athens, Sparta next

many Greeks sent messengers to Persia

begged Darius not to attack

willing to do anything to please Persians

King Darius- rude to Athenians

Athenians decided not to make peace alliance

Persians Keep Attacking

499 BC, Greek island, Naxos, is attacked four month siege Persia gives up Ionian Greeks confident they, too, could defeat Persia

Ionian Revolt

revolt led by Aristagoras (air-uh-STAG-uh-rus) of Meletus a Greek who’d tried to help King Darius defeat Naxos may have feared Darius’ punishment for failure turned against Darius, helped Ionians got rid of pro-Persian tyrant rulers set up democracies asked Sparta for help; Spartans refused

Ionian Revolt continued

Aristagoras asked Athens for help Athens sent 20 ships from new navy Eretrians of Euboea sent 5 ships

Ionia

All Begins Well- 499 BC

allied Greek forces capture and burn capital, Sardis

Aristagorus is killed but gradually Persia begins to win in 5 years, by 499 BC, Persians take Meletus (Aristagorus’ home city) Ionian revolt is over! Ionians don’t seem to receive much punishment Persians very angry now at Athenians and

Eretrians

Persians viewed Athenians and Eretrians as terrorists

considered them foreign invaders who destroyed innocent people’s homes and lives

499 BC, King Darius wants to conquer Greece more than ever: First Persian War

for revenge? to expand Persian Empire?

Best way for Persians to attack?

this time? --- by sea by land? --- failed in 514 BC against Scythians Persians start from Ionia (modern Turkey) first goal? : conquer Athens then maybe all of Greece

Hippias, exiled tyrant of Athens, was angry with Athenians

Hippias lived in King Darius’ court

Hope?: helping Darius might put Hippias back in power in Athens

Nine years after Ionian Revolt, Persians Attack

1st step --- Eretria

490 BC, Persia took cavalry on ships to Eretria

looted islands along the way

when arrived at Eretria, people ran inside city, shut gates Persians had no weapons to get them in city walls battle 6 days Some Eretrians fear Persians-traitor opens back gate during night and lets in Persians

Next Step—Marathon

Hippias advises King Darius to sail to Marathon Marathon- 25 miles from Athens Hippias’ father landed there 56 years earlier

maybe people of Marathon would help Hippias back to power

area around Marathon only good place for grazing cavalry horses- another good reason to go there

Athenians hear Persians have landed in Marathon

many Athenians are frightened

citizens (free men) meet

discuss whether to stay democracy (all citizens vote)

-or go back to oligarchy (allow a few rich powerful people to rule)

Athenian men vote- democracy is chosen

Athenians send army to marchout to Persians

Athenians would have been safe behind walls of city

feared someone would let Persians in like in Eretria

Athenian army took strong position in hills around Marathon

legend:(many versions) runner, Pheidippides (fid IP uh dees), goes to Sparta for help

ran 150 miles to Sparta in two days

Statue of Pheidippides alongside the Marathon Road

Sparta refused due to religious law stating only allow to battle during full moon

promised help in 6 days

Athenians wait several days, then afraid someone would betray them, decide to attack

nearby Plateans help

Sparta’s Answer?

Surprise!! Well-trained Greekshoplites defeat Persian army!

at first Persian cavalry made it impossible for Athenian infantry to cross open plain

Greek general, Miltiades (mill TIE uh dees), tricked the Persians divides army into three sections: center, left, right center pretends to retreat Persians chase them right and left wings of Greek army rush in from sides number killed? : thousands of Persians, less than 200 Greeks

Persians scurry back to ships, sail away, defeated

Greek Army at Marathon

Click link below, scroll to very bottom of site page for animation of battle of Marathon.

One mystery remains: how could the Athenians cross the plain without fear for a cavalry attack? Herodotus (the historian) suggests that their charge was too swift, but contradicts this when he says that the struggle was long drawn out (which means: more than two hours).

There is, however, another story about the battle of

Marathon: deserters from the Persian army had come

to the Athenian camp, telling that the cavalry

were away.

But why? A possible explanation is that Datis and Artaphernes had become uneasy with the stalemate, had decided to leave the plain to attack the Athenian port of Phaleron, and had ordered the cavalry to embark on the transports. If this speculation is correct, the Athenians merely attacked a Persian rearguard.

Whatever the truth, it is certain that cavalry took part in the final stages of the battle, because in the Athenian building known as Stoa Poikilê was a painting of the battle that included a Persian horseman.

A Persian nobleman: small bust from Persepolis (

National Archaeological Museum, Tehran)

From the biography of Miltiades by the Roman author Cornelius Nepos (first century BCE) and in the Suda, a tenth century Byzantine lexiconhttp://www.livius.org/man-md/marathon/marathon.html---verbatim

only women and children were back in Athens Athenian army hurried, 8 hours’ march, 25 miles to save

families in Athens Persians took 12-14 hours by sea when Persians arrive, whole Athenian army waits inside gates Persians give up, sail home to Persia Next day Spartans finally arrive, Athenians show victory

Athenians celebrate too soon?

begin to wonder where Persians hurried off to to Persia or around the point of land to Athens itself? whole Athenian army – in Marathon

Persians leave Greece

alone for 10 years busy fighting revolt in Egypt during 10 years King Darius had died Darius’ son, Xerxes (ZERK-sees), rules settles Egyptian revolt

plans to teach the old Greek terrorists a lesson (still angry about them helping in Ionian revolt)

By land? No, by water… No, by land…

Decisions, decisions---2nd Persian War

Darius’ plan to conquer Greece by sea had failed Xerxes decides to try land attack again 480 BC, Xerxes builds canal, crosses at Hellespont

http://www.livius.org/he-hg/herodotus/hist05.htm Then once on link, scroll down to section: Persian Canal Discovery Is Testament to Ancient Engineering Skills

http://edsitement.neh.gov/edsitement%E2%80%99s-persian-wars-resource-pages#MarathonAnimOn this page take the interactive bridge-building activity.

On to Greece- 480 BC Persian army crosses Hellespont people of Thrace and Macedonia surrender or form alliances

Persians turn south to Greece had to go through steep mountain pass: Thermopylae (ther-MOP-ah-lay)

Thermopylae means hot springs or hot gate (hot springs near pass)

no other way for Persians to get through mountains of Greece

Greeks hear Persians are coming! Thebes makes alliancewith Persia

Argo remains neutral

Spartans and Corinthians want to abandon northern Greece, only defend south (where they are)

Athenians want to try to defend north at pass of Thermopylae

Spartans andCorinthians agree

On to Thermopylae

Athenians, Spartans, Corinthians and soldiers from some smaller cities march to Thermopylae

set up barricades

for several days attacking Persians can’t get through Greeks are very happy

Another Traitor—It only takes one! Greek traitor tells Persians about a small goat pass a few Persian soldiers slip through surround Greeks from behind

a group of 300 Spartans and a few of their Boeotian allies from Thespiae and Thebes stay and fight even though they are surrounded and know they’ll die this allows most of Greek army to march to safety

A Fight to the Death

brave Spartan king, Leonidas, 300 Spartans, and some Boeotian allies fight Persians three days

all 300 and allies die but most of Greek army had

time to march to safety after war, stone erected in

memory and honor of brave soldiers

Persians; on to the South

Persians pass over Thebes, leave them alone Thebes had made an alliance with Persia Persian plan: on to Athens

Spartans and Corinthians again want to just defend south, since plan failed to stop Persians at Thermopylae of course Athenians want to defend Athens

Compromise

Athenian general, Themistocles (thuh-MISS-toe-klees) moves all Athenians to safety at a nearby island

Athenians burn all of Athens, even the Parthenon

Athenians Use Their Wits Athenian navy tricks Persians into attacking them near the island of Salamis (SALL-uh-mis)

Persian and Greek navies both use trireme ships

Persians have many more ships Athenians trick Persians into thinking they’d attack at night

Persians – alert all night

Athenians get restful night’s sleep next morning- Greeks fresh, well rested

Persian soldiers sleepy, sluggish

Athenian navy wins!!!

Persians defeated AGAIN! So head home AGAIN!

Resources

http://www.livius.org/man-md/marathon/marathon.http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/westasia/history/persians.htmhttp://www.livius.org/he-hg/herodotus/hist05.htmhttp://web.clas.ufl.edu/users/kapparis/GP/PersianWarsMap.htm http://www.geo.gr/map.htm http://www.ancientgreekbattles.net/Pages/People/Pheidippides.htm //www.ancientgreekbattles.net/Pages/People/Pheidippides.htm http://www.geo.gr/map.htmhttp://www.geo.gr/map.htmhttp://www.geo.gr/map.h http://www.geo.gr/map.htm