The Persian Wars

BATTLING ANCIENT GREEK STYLE

(499-479 BCE)

The Greek Warriors - Hoplites

heavy infantry citizen militia – mostly

middle class, as they had to pay for their own armor (except for Sparta)

Battles were short – (1-2 hrs) due to the weight of

their armor (50-60lbs).

Armour and Weapons

A hoplite typically had a breastplate, a bronze helmet, as well as greaves (for the shins) and other armour.

Bowl-shaped wooden shield called an aspis which was around 1m  across.

The primary weapon was a spear around 2.7 meters in length. As this frequently broke upon charging, Hoplites also carried a smaller 60 cm thrusting, close combat sword.

The total cost of military battle armament was roughly equivalent to a mid-sized car.

The Shield

The wooden shield was the most important piece of equipment.

It helped hoplites identify each other in battle.

Tactics

Strength was shock combat – direct full on attack!

Goal was to break the enemy’s line and encircle them!

The Phalanx

Phalanx is the primary offensive strategy

Line of heavy infantry, standing shoulder to shoulder, shields linked, forming a line of spears that was nearly impossible to penetrate.

The only weakness was from behind

City State Coalitions

When the Greek city states were threatened, they joined together to fight against foreign invaders.

Sparta: Sons of Hercules

Entire society was dedicated to order! Military state dedicated to producing military fitness! Children were born, they were bathed in wine. If they

survived they were presented to the elders of the community.

If a baby was deemed unfit, it was abandoned on Mount Taygetos to die of exposure. This way the Spartans could maintain the high physical standards of their culture.

Sent away to school at 7 years Full citizens at 30

Spartans: Sons of Hercules Emphasis on Honour – rituals dedicated to battle

Custom in Sparta that before the Spartans would go off to war, their wives or mothers would present them with their shield and say: "Etan I Epitas" which translates to come home "With this or upon this."

The idea was that a Spartan could only return to Sparta in one of two ways, victorious or dead.

Burials in Sparta were also considered an act of honor, marked headstones would only be granted to Spartan soldiers who died in combat during a victorious campaign (or females who died in Service of a divine office or in childbirth)

The Persian Empire 500 BCE

Greco-Persian Wars:- Who is fighting?

Persia – largest of all the eastern empires

Greek city-states – small, scattered and weakened by fighting one another. (Very ill-prepared to defend themselves)

Cyrus the Great of PersiaEmpire Builder

Greco-Persian Wars Conflicts between several Greek

city-states and the Persian Empire starting about 546 BC

Why? Persians had already taken over Ionian (Asia-Minor).

The Ionians started to rebel with some help from Athenians typical for Greeks and their

love of independence.

REVOLT! (499 BCE)

Persia won - but vowed revenge!

Persian Wars…background

Persian King Darius and his son Xerxes led the campaign against the Greeks. (Determined to punish Greeks for their revolt.)

The Athenians convened the Delian League (a confederacy of ancient Greek states) & called all powerful city –states

Sparta – could not attend because of religious festival, full moon, it was bad luck.

Battle of Marathon

Battle of Marathon490 BCE Persian Fleet just outside the city of

Marathon.

Athenians lead a force of 10,000 troops against a Persian force of 20 – 60,000, and about 600 ships.

For five days the armies squared off and looked at each other, Athens hoping for the Spartans to arrive.

Pheidippides ran 225 km in 36 hrs to get Spartans…but they didn’t show up.

Prior to the Battle

Risky Move!

Athenians attacked without cavalry or archers!

They knew Persians usually saved their best troops for the centre ranks so the Athenians strengthened their wings.

Long battle… Athenians closed in and trapped the Persians – driving them back.

Persians tried to sail to Athens to take the city but Athenians were too quick for them, forcing them to abandon that idea and sail back to Asia.

Battle of Marathon

The Athenians put their strongest forces on the wings, and feigned a retreat in the center line of phalanx

This caused a double-envelopment.

Aftermath Greeks won – 192 dead Athenians, 6400

dead Persians.

Persians retreated – last time Darius attempted to attack.

Significance: learned that Persia could be defeated, city-states gained confidence, Greek patriotism

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiOwZ6XWyDQ

Battle Prep – Take 2 Knowing that the Persians would return the

Athenians took defensive precautions. Strong navy – a fleet of 200 ships

In 481 BCE, all Greek states that were prepared to resist the Persians held a congress at Corinth… Athens and Sparta decided to share the leadership role.

This congress didn’t join all Greek states (as some declined the invitation and did not intend to fight) but it was the first attempt ever made to form a Greek national league.

Battle of Thermopylae480 BCE

King Xerxes, the son and

successor of Darius, was determined to continue the assault on the Greek mainland.

Thermopylae… the forces Persians – 200,000 – 500,000 troops; Fleet of over

1200 ships

Spartan Force – 300 Spartans, 6000 allies

Thermopylae was a mountain pass known as the “Gates of Hell.”

Thermopylae Greeks chose a defensive position at Thermopylae – a

narrow pass through which the Persians had to pass.

Thermopylae

The Spartans built a wall (Phocian Wall) along the ridge of the mountain pass, forcing the Persians to fight in lines of 10 instead of facing the full brunt of the Persians.

King Leonidas Greeks had about 7000 troops – majority being

Peloponnesians.

Athens sent 300 of the best Spartan soldiers (under the command of Spartan King Leonidas).

Leonidas knew it was a suicide mission: His wife asked him what she should do while he was away at

battle and he replied: “Marry a good man, and have many children!”

Leonidas prepared a force of single, unmarried men without children to take with him into battle.

http://youtu.be/wDiUG52ZyHQ (300 movie trailer)

http://youtu.be/XR1l01cZQV0 (Gerard Butler how a phalanx works)

A Greek Traitor… The Greeks had hoped to hold the Persian at

Thermopylae while attacking the fleet to the north.

Three days of fighting deflated the Greeks and things began to go wrong.

A Greek traitor led the Persian forces along a mountain path to the far end of the pass at Thermopylae.

Leonidas saw that this forces were trapped and ordered most of the army to leave to defend Athens…

Phalanx… Spartans used phalanx– Persians lost between

3000-5000/day.

He and his force of 300 fought to the death (with the help of 900 Thespians – prisoners of war who refused to abandon Leonidas).

The end of the battle saw intense hand to hand combat with soldiers even biting and scratching.

http://youtu.be/OSbAWXMp3QA (Battle of the 300 – 10 minute clip documentary)

Aftermath Persians lost about 50,000 troops

Spartan force – lost 300, about 1200 other troops.

Xerxes was so enraged that he had Leonidas’ head cut off and his body crucified.

Soldiers were so moved by the battle they constructed a monument called the Epitaph of Simonides with the following verse; a last dig at the Athenians:“Go tell the Spartans, you who have read;That we have followed their orders, and now are dead.”

Xerxes had to regroup and abandon his attack on the city of Athens.

Battle of Salamis

Naval battle – last and decisive battle of the Persian Wars.

After his victory at Thermopylae, King Xerxes set up his navy off the coast of Salamis

Athens was abandoned and burnt to the ground

1st great naval battle in recorded history

The Combatants Persia had 1200 ships – large, heavy ships

Before the battle, they lost 300 in a storm!

Greeks had 380 ships called triremes – small and quick

Since winter was approaching, Xerxes was forced to act. He moved his navy into the narrow inlet surrounding Salamis.

Battle Preparations Xerxes was sure of victory.

He had his throne placed on a hill overlooking the sea, in part to savor his victory and in part so his commanders would know that their king was watching them.

He observed the Spartans preparing for battle, and remarked to his advisor: “Who are these women we are fighting today?”

Battle Strategy The Greeks led by Themistocles

Themistocles developed a plan to prevent them from fleeing and to draw the Persians into battle. He sent a spy to the Persians telling them that if they attacked now, many of the Greeks would turn on each other. They should block the mouth of the harbor immediately!

The Persians took the bait and sailed into the harbor. There was nothing to do now for the Greek navy but to fight!

The battle continued…

The lighter Greek ships rammed the front of their ships into the Persian vessel.

Sink or swim? The narrow straight, the speed and

maneuverability of the Greek ships enabled them to sink two hundred Persian ships.

Persians couldn’t swim, but Greeks could!

Persians trying to impress the king – trying to row to the front lines, while others were retreating…

Aftermath Some were captured and the rest fled

back to their bases in Asia Minor. King Xerxes, upon seeing this great defeat at Salamis, headed back to Persia with what was left of his navy and part of his army.

Salamis was not the final battle of the Persian Wars, but it was the fatal blow for the Persians; they would never recover.

Greeks won the wars with the Battle of Platae

Significance of the Persian Wars The Greek city states had proven that they

could work together to defeat an external foe. They were strong, organized, and with the defeat of the Persians - they became the superpower of the region.

The end of the Persian wars marked the beginning of “Golden Age” of Ancient Greece – historians call this era the Classical Period.

Athens – all-powerful, started their own empire