2. Basic Information
• Who is fighting? United Greek City States vs
Persian Empire (Persians)
• When? 499 BCE – 449 BCE
• Why? They don’t want to lose control of seatrade routes.
3. Background
• Athens and Sparta were rivals up until Persian
Wars.
• Persia was the largest Empire at the time.
• Persia being the largest was a threat to
Greece.
4. • 6th Century BCE start to see the first attack of
the Greeks (still not full blown war yet).
• Poleis sent aid back to the colonies (weapons,
soldiers)
5. Cyrus
• Cyrus decides to conquer all of Greeks.
• Underestimates power of Greeks.
• He failed to conquer all of Greeks.
6. 1st Persian War
• 492 BCE , Persia has a knew King, Darius.
• Battle of Marathon.
7. Battle of Marathon
• Greeks were out numbered 2 to 1.
• When Persians go back to their ships
(unarmored, Greeks attacked at night), Greeks
attacked them.
• It worked and Greek WON!
• ENDS FIRST PERSIAN WAR!
8. 1st Persian War
• Pheidippides
• Greek messenger.
• Ran from Marathon to Athens with news of
the NIKE (victory).
• Pheidippides dies from exhaustion by running
from Marathon t Athens. He got t Athens, yells
out “NIKE!” (which means victory) and then
collapses.
9. 2nd Persian War
• New king of Persia, Xerxes.
• He seek (past tense) revenge because Greeks
made his father look foolish because they loss
the war.
• He built a ginormous army.
10. 2nd Persian War
• Sparta was chosen to lead the alliance.
• Makes sense because Sparta was a military
focused society.
• Athens provides majority of the ships.
11. 2nd Persian War
• Persians decide to move North as the Greeks
start to move in on them on land and sea.
• Send 7,000 Greek soldiers to Therm. To fight
Persians.
12. 2nd Persian War
• Battle of Therm. Lasted 7 days.
• King Leonidas was a leader of the Greeks.
15. Outcome of the Wars
• Persians leave to Asia Minor , and never attack
or intend to attack again.
• For a period of time the poleis get along.
• Athens becomes a dominate force in the
region.
