4.10.1 The ýrst Persian invasion, 492–490 BCE The Greek city-states often fought each other but united when Persia attacked in 490 BCE and again in 480–479 BCE. They defended Greece from the powerful Persian Empire. Later, the Macedonians invaded Greece. Persia, now called Iran, was a huge empire under Cyrus the Great and his successor, Cambyses. It included lands like Turkey, Palestine, Syria and Egypt. In 499 BCE, Greek cities in Anatolia, with help from Athens, rebelled against Persia. The revolt failed, and Persia took control of nearby Greek islands. The Battle of Marathon To punish Athens, King Darius of Persia sent a þeet to invade Greece in 492 BCE, but it was wrecked in a storm. When Athens refused to submit, Darius sent another þeet in 490 BCE. His army captured Eretria and landed at Marathon (see SOURCE2 ), where 10 000 Athenians and their allies defeated 50 000 Persians in a surprise attack.
SOURCE2 Naval and land campaigns of the Persian Wars
BLACK SEA
THRACE
Canal dug for Xerxes’ fleet
Potidaea
MACEDON
Hellespont
Bridge of boats built for Xerxes’ army
PERSIAN
THESSALY
EAST
AEGEAN
EMPIRE
GREECE
Lesbos
SEA
Artemisium
Defeat of Persian expeditionary force 490 BCE
LYDIA
Delphi Thermopylae
Persian invasion force of 480 BCE assembled by Xerxes at Sardes
IONIAN
Chalcis
Sardes
Eretria
Persian expeditionary force of 490 BCE gathered at Samos
Megara Plataea
Marathon
Final defeat of Persians on mainland Greece 479 BCE
SEA
Athens Salamis
Ephesus
Corinth
Defeat of Persia at Mycale about same time as Greek victory at Plataea 479 BCE
Samos
Mycale
Tenos
Miletus
Sparta
Greek naval victory at Salamis 480 BCE
0
100
200
kilometres
SEA OF CRETE
Rhodes
Key
Route taken by Persian force sent by Darius 490 BCE
Route taken by Xerxes and his army 480 BCE
Crete
MEDITERRANEAN SEA
Route taken by Xerxes’ fleet 480 BCE
Source: Map drawn by Spatial Vision.
4.10.2 The second invasion, 480–479 BCE Darius died in 486 BCE, but his son Xerxes planned an even bigger invasion of Greece. He built a þoating bridge to carry his army across the Hellespont. A massive army of Persian spearmen, archers and cavalry marched into Greece, supported by a large þeet (see SOURCE2 ). To ýght them, 31 Greek states united. Athens led the navy, while Sparta led the army. At Thermopylae in 480 BCE, Spartan King Leonidas and 300 Spartans, along with 7000 other Greeks, held off the Persians but were eventually defeated, delaying Xerxes’ advance.
Jacaranda Humanities Alive 7 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
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