What causes a military to become great, bond together, and win a significant battle in war? In ancient times, the Greek people, along with their culture, were threatened by the Persian Empire that sought to conquer the Western world. If the Greeks had lost the Persian wars, their way of life and the basis for western civilizations to come would have been lost. The Battle of Salamis was a combination of leadership, technology, and strategy which gave the Greeks an edge on their Persian opponents
The image seen below is a Troezen Decree; an inscription proposed by Themistocles in preparation for the battle of Salamis. Within this primary artefact, he states that the Athenians should evacuate their homes and battle against the Persian invaders. Just as the previous sources and their implicit meanings, Themistocles was obviously a man who maintained influence over the Athenian people; he logically took the
The Battle of Salamis is said to be one of the most important battles in all of history. It was a naval battle fought between the massive Persian army and smaller Greek army in the Bay of Salamis in 480 BCE. This battle was one of the many battles that were a part of the Greco-Persian war. This paper will explore the events leading up to the battle, the battle itself, including advantages and disadvantages both sides had on one and other, and finally will discuss the affects the result of this battle
clever woman who was a valued asset After the Battle of Artemisium, the Greek fled to the Isle of Salamis. This created problems for the Persians. With the Greeks being so close, their port was limited which meant they could not supply their army that was heading to Isthmus of Corinth. Xerxes calls in his naval commanders and asks for guidance on whether to go to battle at sea to remove the Greeks from the Isle of Salamis. All were in favor of the naval battle besides Artemisia. She advised Xerxes to
well. Athens was responsible for the major turning points of the Persian invasions, while Sparta was responsible for the deciding battle. Miltiades, with his skilful battle strategies, defeated the Persians during their second invasion at Marathon, which gave Athens a confidence boost on their military. During the third invasion, when the Athenians were evacuated to Salamis, Themistocles had devised a plan to trick the Persians which had resulted in Persian army without a supply line. Sparta?s importance
its ferocious battles, which showcased the superiority of Greek military methods, but also for the striking personalities involved, the democratic character of the military command, and the ability of the fractious Greeks to drop their strong divisions and unite behind a single cause.” (Church A. 1). It started from 499 BC and ended in 479 BC. The persian war is a series of wars, including the battle of the Ionian Revolt, Marathon, Thermopylae, Salamis, and Plataea. In this battle, the Greeks faced
citizen, Themistocles. Themistocles' strengthening of the Athenian navy and unification of Greek states in the Panhellenic League along with his strategies in the battles of Thermopylae, Artemisium the pivotal Greek naval triumph at Salamis, all contributed to the ultimate defeat of the Persians in 480 - 479BC. During these battles, Themistocles lured the Persian force into narrow, close range battlegrounds suited to the Greek style of hand to hand, close range combat. Themistocles was born
outnumbering the Greeks, the Persians should have easily conquered them. The Greeks were able to defeat the Persians because they united for a sole purpose. This unification provided the strength they needed to win decisive military and naval sea battles. The Greek and Persian war began with the Ionian Revolt.. The Ionian Revolt was a series of revolts in Aeolis, Doris, Cyprus and Caria against Persian rule. The revolts lasted from 499 BC to 493 BC. The rebellions were supported by the Greek cities
Herodotus explains how Themistocles often “demonstrated how supreme his powers of analysis were” (Herodotus, pg. 297). It was Themistocles’s inspired planning that allowed Athens to have two hundred ships ready for battle before the Persian Empire could invade (Herodotus, pg. 497). Prior the Persian War the public treasury of the Athenians received generous revenue from the Laurium mines (Herodotus, pg. 497). It was decided that every Athenian citizen would be given
overall success against the Persians. The Persian fleet was protecting the land forces from being outflanked and after they were defeated the longer had that protection. While the Greeks had very few overall victories in battle they did have some strategic victories. The Battle of Thermopylae is an example of a strategic success for the Greeks. The morale of the Persian army was extremely affected by the stout resistance put up by King Leonidas and his fellow Spartans. The Greeks fought so hard against
Ionia and defeated the Persians, and they sailed back, shortly after, the Persians returned and crushed the Ionians and destroyed the city of Miletus. This sparked the Persian-Greek Wars as the Persians marched forward into Greece. The Battle of Marathon The Battle of Marathon was between the Athenians helped by the Plataeans against a Persian army commanded by Datis and Artaphernes. The Persians sailed to a harbor near the city state of Marathon, from there, they sent the Persians to march into the
The Persian invasions of 470 – 479BC saw the Battle of Thermopylae, The Battle of Artemisium, The Battle of Salamis, The Battle of Plataea and The Battle of Mycale. These battles also saw the contributions of many key individuals, which lead to the victory of the Greeks in the ends as well as the rise of the Greek navy. The Battle of Thermopylae was the first between the Greeks and Persians during the Persian invasion of 480 – 479BC. The Greek force was very small compared to the Persians but was
over two million men. Even the Greek oracle at Delphi encouraged prudence in face of such an overwhelming force (7.140). Thus the question arises of why such an army failed to compel Greece into submission. I will explore this with focus on the key battles and the important factors, most notably the timing of the attack, the quality of his expeditionary force and Xerxes’ personal faults. Overall, Xerxes’ initial strategy was sound. Before he had even bridged and crossed the Hellespont , Xerxes had
Persian invades at the Battle of Marathon. In 480 B.C. Xerxes the First, the Emperor of the Persians, (c.519- 465) B.C, and a large Persian force attempted to even the score. In the battle of Thermopylae, The Persian’s outnumbered the Spartans. The Persians then marched to Athens for revenge. The Greeks defeated the Persian Navy at the battle of Salamis that same year proved to be turning point in the conflict and Xerxes withdrew most of his men in Asia. The finale battle of the Persian War was near
united in battle, although others found ways to avoid participation in the wars. The Greeks also relied on the words of Apollo to guide them, but the oracle did not always act encouragingly. The Greeks defeated the Persians in the Persian Wars due to heroic actions performed by Athens and Sparta and occasional assistance from the gods, but cowardice shown by other poleis nearly ended the Greeks’ chances of success. Unity between the Greek poleis could be seen occasionally in the battles of the
instead because the Greeks had superior armour and weapons and tactics. During certain battles the geography was also a disadvantage to the Persians and helped in their loss. In the Battle of Marathon Persian mistakes had a part in their failure but it was also the Greeks’ superior armour, weapons, and tactics that were the main reason for their loss. A mistake the Persians made that may have changed the tide of the battle was loading the cavalry back onto their ships. This mistake gave the Greeks a greater
The famous ancient Greek writer, Sophocles, once said, “success is dependent on effort.” (Ancient Greece). Ancient Greece brought so much effort into their art, history, wars, mythology, their people, and their society to bring success to their civilization. The United States bases several parts of their civilization from the teachings and experiences the Greek civilization had. The Greek civilization is significant to the United States for many reasons including their influence on astronomy, math
they would buy enough time for their country. Although the three hundred Spartans receive the glory for their sacrifice at the battle of Thermopylae, they do not deserve all of the credit because they did not fight alone. Along with the three hundred Spartans, fought seven hundred Thespians and four hundred Phocians. The battle of Thermopylae is one of the most legendary battles of all time. The sacrifice of the fourteen hundred men for their country, gives us a peek into the harsh but honorable world
The Battle of Thermopylae was fought between an alliance of Greek city-states, led by King Leonidas of Sparta, and the Persian Empire of Xerxes I over the course of three days, during the second Persian invasion of Greece. It took place simultaneously with the naval battle at Artemisia, in August or September 480 BC, at the narrow coastal pass of Thermopylae . The Persian invasion was a delayed response to the defeat of the first Persian invasion of Greece, which had been ended by the Athenian victory
because even after a loss they are able to overpower a tribe of people. The Persians are known for their organization so it was only right that they return back to Asia in order to regroup after losing so much during the shipwreck and battle with the Brygi. The Persians battle tactics appear to involve large fleets of ships. These fleets include