Adapted from another uploaded PPT, this is about the Persian Wars

1. Persian Wars

2. The Timeline Battle of Plataea
Ionian Battle of
Battle of
Revolt Marathon
Thermopylae,
Begins
Battle of
Salamis Strait
499 BCE 479 BCE
War War Ends
Begins
490
BCE
480
BCE

3. Information about Greeks
 Were not allies at
beginning of the war
 Athens and Sparta most
powerful city states of the
many throughout the
Mediterranean
Athens
 Sparta excels at land Sparta
combat
 Athens, while having
many soldiers, has a very
strong navy

4. Greek Warfare
 Naval Warfare
 Greek Ships called
Triremes- rowed ship with
heavy Iron Ram on front
 Land Warfare
 Uses Phalanx Tactics
 metal shields
 Spears and swords (close
range weapons)

5. The Persians
 Began as a small tribe in Iran
 Expanded quickly into the largest empire in
history
 King Darius allowed conquered nations to keep
their religions and kings in exchange for tribute
(money or goods) and troops for the army

6. Persian Empire

7. Persian Weapons
 Leather and wood shields
 Short Swords
 Depended on large
number of archers
 Had larger navy than
Athens

8. Event 1: Ionians Revolt
 The Persians had taken
over Greek Settlements in
Ionia- on the coast of Asia
Minor
 The Greeks had moved
there after the collapse of
Mycenae and the beginning
of the Greek Dark Ages
 They had to contribute
soldiers and tribute to
Persians in exchange for
being a part of the empire-
they had be conquered.

10. The Reaction
 Athens sends troops to
Ionia as well as ships.
 The Persians are defeated
in one battle
 The Athenians leave
 Persia comes back, burns
city of Miletus to the ground
 People are sold into
slavery- normal at the time
 Persia now mad at the
Athenians

11. Event 2: Battle of Marathon
Darius decides to invade the
Greek mainland and take
it over.
Sends messengers to ask
for surrender
Greeks- according to legend
throw messengers into a
pit

12. Video
 Take detailed notes on:
 Lead up to the battle
 Important military leaders
 Details of the battle
 Outcome of the battle
 Significance/Importance of the battle

13. Reactions
 Darius is furious
 Sends troops to Marathon, a city
outside of Athens (about 26.2
miles)
 Marathon myth/confusion
 Sparta is having a religious festival
and can’t help until tomorrow
 Athenians meet them with their
allies- led by Militades
 Sweep around the Persians,
surround them and defeat them
 Greeks form an Alliance to protect
against further Persian Aggression

14. Event 3: Battle of
Thermopylae
 Darius has died
 Xerxes, his son decides that
the time has come to try to
invade again
 Marches on Greece with
largest army and navy ever
assembled
 Army marches across a
man made bridge over the
Hellespont toward Greece
 Navy sails through a man
made canal to avoid storms

15. What Actually Happened
 The Greeks use their
alliance
 Athens and Sparta lead
army and fleet to fight
against Persians- anyone
who can possibly fight, even
the poor of Athens are
brought in
 Sparta makes a stand at
Thermopylae
 Athens makes stand at
Salamis- a strait (narrow
point in water) Hold on, I lost my contact. Has
anyone seen it? Seriously guys?
Just one second and we can get
back to it.

16. Video
 Take detailed notes on:
 Lead up to the battle
 Important military leaders
 Details of the battle
 Outcome of the battle
 Significance/Importance of the battle

17. Thermopylae
 Small passage between mountains- makes it hard for
Archers to shoot, hard for troops in come in large numbers-
Xerxes loses his biggest advantage
 A traitor shows the way around
 The Spartans decide to stay and defend- “give us your
arms” “Come and get them”
 About 1300 men (300 were Spartans- fought to the death to
stop the Persians
 Athens panics and abandons the city- only women, children,
elderly left while all others are off fighting
 Xerxes burns it to the ground

19. Event 4: Salamis Strait
 Athenian navy commander-
Themistocles thought of way to
defeat the larger Persian navy
 Used similar tactics to
Spartans- Salamis strait was a
small channel between two
areas of land.
 Told Persians that he wanted to
switch sides
 Persians came to join him,
Greeks retreat, suddenly attack
and ram 300 ships down
before the Persians retreat

20. Athens is that way
a few miles

21. Event 5: Battle of Plataea
 Xerxes retreats back to Asia
Minor
 Bridges at Hellespont have
been destroyed- weather is
not a fan of Xerxes
 Leaves an army to attack in
the Spring
 Greeks have to decide
whether or not to continue
their alliance

22. What Happened
 Greeks Continue their alliance
 Xerxes attacks in the Spring
 80,000 allied Greek soldiers
defeat the Persian Army
 Athens has been destroyed,
but comes out as the city state
that defeated the Persian
Navy, and created the alliance.
 They are poised to become the
most powerful city state in
Athens- a Golden Age