Greeks vs Persians

Persians

• Lived in modern day South Western Iran

• Early on they were nomads and warrior tribes until united by Cyrus the Great in 550 B.C.

Cyrus the Great

• Cyrus the Great was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire in 559-533 B.C. by uniting tribes and kingdoms.

• In 539 B.C. he conquered Babylon and entire Mesopotamia.

Rise of Persian Empire

• Subjects were all treated well. This merciful rule allowed the empire to grow and stay together.

• Ex) Jews were allowed to move back to homeland and given money to rebuild the temple

• Royal Road connected the empire

Persian Religion

• Zoroaster founded the Persian religion of Zoroastrianism in 660 B.C.

• World's fist monotheistic religion

• Ahura Mazda was god and his opponent was Ahura Mainyu

• Dualism: heaven and hell, good vs evil

Persian Wars with Greece

• Greek colonies in Asia Minor were under Persian control

• Mainland Greek city-states began to feel uneasy about the Persian presence

• In 499 B.C. an Athenian army helped the colonies rebel against the Persians known as the Ionian Revolt

• The rebellion failed but made Darius uneasy, creating more tension between the Persians and Greeks

Battle of Marathon

• Darius's Persian fleet land 20,000 men at the plains of Marathon just outside Athens

• The Athenians patiently wait for the Persians to attack

• Athens army was spread thin through the middle of their front lines, and gave in when Persians charged.

• The Athenian flanks enclosed around the Persians and Athens slaughtered their opponents, winning the Battle of Marathon

Battle of Marathon

• Athenians won without Spartan support

• Pheidippides ran from Marathon to Athens 26.2 miles and yelled NIKE!.....then died

• Embarrassed Darius, vowed that Persia would revenge their loss

Xerxes

• Son of Darius becomes king in 486 B.C. and vows to revenge his fathers loss.

• Creates the largest known army in the Ancient World numbering about 3 million soldier

• Army is made up of 46 nationalities.

Xerxes

• His massive army constructed a pontoon bridge across the sea at the Hellespont to march on Greece from the North, rather than invade by sea

• Over 336 ships tied together made up this pontoon bridge, a daring technological feat.

Greeks Strategy

• In order to defend their homeland the separate Greek city-states united under Athenian and Spartan leadership

• Athenian general Themistocles issued 200 triremes, shifty 3 level ships, to be built

• Sparta would handle the combat on land with their superior hoplite soldiers and phalanx strategy

Greek Strategy

• While Athenian ships were put into place and the Spartans would have to stall the Persian advance.

• Spartans would defend a mountain pass leading to mainland Greece at a place called Thermopylae.

Thermopylae

• Under the leadership of Spartan King Leonidas 7,000 Greeks would fight a million men Persian Army.

• For 3 days the Greek Army held off the Persian until a trader told the Persians of a secret goat path that encompassed the route.

• Leonidas, knowing he was surrounded sent the remaining Greek soldiers home, staying with only 300 troops to defend the pass.

• Although defeated, the story of the brave Spartans is still told today

Battle of Salamis

• The Persians burn Athens to the ground while Greek soldiers watch from nearby Salamis

• In 480 B.C. the Athenians attacked the Persians in the strait of Salamis

• The Greeks ships were smaller, faster, and easier to steer than the big Persian ships

• In the confined straits of Salamis the large Persian ships were clumsy and easily picked off by the Greeks

Greeks defeat the Persians

• In 479 B.C. the Greeks have the Persians on the run

• Persians were stationed near Plataea while a large Greek army waited outside their fortified camp

• Stalemate last 11 days and Greeks pretended to retreat

• Persians blindly attacked, while Greeks reorganized their phalanx and slaughtered the Persians.

Fall of the Persians

• Following the loss to the Greeks, Xerxes died and a series of poor leaders led to Persia's decline

• Heavy taxes and revolt throughout the empire weakened Persia

• Alexander the Great would defeat the Persians once and for all in 334 B.C.

Greeks vs Persians