Section 3 (continued) The Persian Wars. Persia – Cyrus II 559 B.C. – Persian King, Cyrus the...

Section 3 (continued)

The Persian Wars

Persia – Cyrus II

•559 B.C. – Persian King, Cyrus the Great begins conquest of Mesopotamia

•545 B.C. – Persia conquers Ionia

Ionia

•539 B.C. – conquers Babylon

•538 B.C. – occupies Jerusalem

•530 B.C. – Cyrus is killed in battle

•521 B.C. – Darius takes throne

Persia under Darius•520 B.C. – commissions a canal to Nile to Red Sea

•520 B.C. - Ionians revolt but are suppressed

•499 B.C. – Ionians revolt again

Ionian Revolt Against Persia

•Ionians request help from Greek city-states

•Athens and Eretria sent a few warships to help

•After 5 years, Ionians were defeated

Darius was angry with Athens for

helping!

Persians Attack “Greece”

•490 B.C. – Darius sends 600 ships and a well-equipped army to Greece

•Persians landed at Plain of Marathon

•26 miles NE of Athens

The Battle of Marathon•After several days, Persians

decide to sail directly to Athens•As soon as Persians boarded

ships, Greeks ran down hills around Marathon

•Persians caught off-guard and were defeated

Importance of the Battle of Marathon

Gave Greeks a great sense of confidence!

After the Battle of Marathon

•Silver mines were found near Athens

•Athenians built triremes (warships with three levels of rowers on each side, one above the other)

•Athens soon had largest Navy in “Greece”

Hellenic League•481 B.C. - Athens & Sparta (and other city-states- 20)

formed Hellenic League•Athens was prepared if Persia

decided to attack again•Athens led Navy•Sparta led army

Second Persian War

•480 B.C. – Xerxes (Darius’ son) sent 250,000 soldiers and conquered northern Greece

•Battled Greeks at Thermopylae

Battle of Thermopylae•7,000 Greek soldiers held off Persian Army for three days

•Allowed enough time for Athens to flee to island of Salamis

•Greeks withdrew

•300 Spartans and 700 other Greeks stayed behind but were betrayed and killed

•Persians reached Athens, found it deserted, set it on fire

•Persian fleet was tricked into sailing between the strait between Athens and Salamis

•Strait was narrow; only a few ships could pass at a time

•Large Persian ships could not maneuver in strait

•483 Greek ships attacked•Greeks defeated Persian fleet

Battle of Plateau•Xerxes returned to Asia•479 B.C. Persians attack again at Battle of Plateau

•Persian general is killed•Persian fleet is destroyed