The Persian War
Causes of War
The Ionian Rebellion resulted from the imposition of tyrants and higher taxes by the Cyrus the Great who regarded himself as the King of Kings. The Ionian Greeks in 499 decided to revolt, hence the Ionian Revolt. Thus, the Ionian revolt (499–494 BCE) was started by Ionian cities against the Persian overlords. The involvement of the Athenians in the Ionian Revolt compelled the Persian invasion. After the Eretria and Athens sent their forces to support the Ionia cities in overthrowing the Persian rule, Darius planned the invasion to attack the Athenians. The Battle of Marathon occurred at the Marathon plains and the hoplites won against the numerous Persian soldiers (Cartwright, 2016). It was carried out in 490 BC, and the rationale was to show the Persians that they could be beaten. The Battle of Marathon was fought between the Athenians supported by Plataea and Persian forces that Artaphernes and Datis commanded. The war was the beginning of blows of the Greco-Persian War.
Weapons and Tactics of War
Cartwright (2013) noted that in ancient Greece, the hoplite was a heavily armed foot-soldier. They endured physical training and they were required to carry 20 kg of equipment when fully armored. The hoplite was equipped with a short sword (xiphos) and a long-ash wood spear (doru) (Cartwright, 2013). In addition, the hoplite also carried a circular shield (hoplon), and a dagger. Hoplite wore a leather-lined bronze helmet, a corselet of leather or bronze, and bronze greaves (enemies) which protect the shins (Cartwright, 2013). Greek warfare entailed the use of armies and they formed planks to shield from their enemies. The army of Emperor Xerxes was composed of 10,000 heavily trained men and the primary weapons were bows and arrows (Cartwright, 2013). The Immortals or the Persian Immortals described the elite heavy infantry unit of ten thousand soldiers of the Achaemenid Empire.
Great Battles
The Battle of Marathon was a clash between the Greeks headed by Callimachus and the Persians led by Artaphernes. The Persian army was made up of 90,000 men, while the Greeks had a force of between 10,000 and 20,000 (Cartwright, 2016). The war took place at the plain of Marathon in September 490 BCE. The Greek hoplites won the battle because of their long spears, better armor, heavier words, and rigid discipline of the Phalanx formation (Cartwright, 2016). The Battle of Thermopylae took place in August 480 BCE under the leadership of Spartan King Leonidas and the Greeks lost to the Persians after three days. The battle took place at the Thermopylae while they passed across to the east coast (Cartwright, 2016). The battle helped the Greeks pass Thermopylae, despite the casualties.
The Battle of Salamis took place in September 480 BCE at Salamis along the Saronic Gulf. The Athenian general Themistocles led the Greeks to their victory against the odds. The Greek feet had 300 ships against the 500 Persian ships (Cartwright, 2016). The triremes were used to win the war. The figure below is a Greek trireme.
Greek and Persian Leaders
Darius I (550-486 BCE) was the king of Persia between 522–486 BCE and a great ruler of Achaemenid dynasty. He restored order in the empire and conquered the Indus Valley. Phidippides (530 BC-490 BC) was born in Athens Greece. He played a major role in the Battle of Marathon (490 BC). He was sent to Sparta for help, and he ran through the mountains for a distance of 140 miles (Del Testa, 2014). Xerxes the Great (518–465 BC) was the 4th king of kings in the Achaemenid dynasty of Persia and the successor of Darius 1. He is remembered for the construction of projects at Persepolis and Susa. Leonidas (530-480 B.C.) ruled the city-state of Sparta in 490 B.C. until he died at the Battle of Thermopylae. He helped in the Thermopylae pass where he assisted by sacrificing h with is Spartan hoplites and sending the rest of the army to pass through Del Testa, 2014). Themistocles (524–459 BC) was an Athenian general. He fought the Battle of Marathon and aided in the victory at the Battle of Salamis and Artemisium. He is remembered as the most instrumental man in the salvation of Greece by defeating the Persians.
References List
Cartwright, M. (2013). Hoplite.
Cartwright, M. (2016). Persian Wars. Ancient History Encyclopedia.
Del Testa, D. W. (2014). Government Leaders, Military Rulers, and Political Activists..
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