HUMA250 Lecture 4: The Persian Wars
HUMA250 Lecture Notes Wednesday 23rd August 2017
The Persian Wars
- IN A NUTSHELL - Persia, under the rule of Darius (r. 522-486 BCE), was already
expanding into mainland Europe and had subjugated Ionia, Thrace, and Macedonia
by the beginning of the 5th century BCE.
- Darius sights ere Athens and the rest of Greece – motivation most likely to quell
troublesome states on the western side of the empire.
o Not just about colonization. Lots of fires happening in the little states
- The Ionian rebellion, the offering of earth and water in submission to the Persian
satrap in 508 BCE, and the attack by Athens and Eretria on the city of Sardis in 499
BCE had not been forgotten either. Battles ensued.
o Satrap - Kig or goerets poers
- 491 BCE Darius once agai set eos to all for the Greeks suissio to Persia
rule. The Greeks sent a no-nonsense reply by executing the envoys, and Athens
and Sparta promised to form an alliance for the defense of Greece.
o Sparta joins with Athens to defend land from the Persians
- The Persian Wars refers to the conflict between Greece and Persia in the 5th century
BCE which involved two invasions by the latter in 490 and 480 BCE.
- Persia had emerged as a great power – the reig of Crus the great
imperialistic and ruthless; but committed to Auramazda, the creator/defender of the
truth
o Persians believed Auramazda looked down on them
- Several of the most famous and significant battles in history were fought during the
Wars
- Marathon, Thermopylae, Salamis, and Plataea; legendary. The Greeks were,
ultimately, victorious and their civilization preserved.
o Todas Maratho toda is the sae distae the esseger had to ru to
deliver the message
The Ionian Revolt
- The first Persian invasion of Greece - a result of long time disquiet between the
Persians and the Greeks.
o Persia, young and vital, volatile and ambitious – Darius was a usurper pushing
for domination of territory wherever he could.
▪ He didt are aout rules ad regulatios, he ated eerything
▪ Like Trump.
o The Ionian Revolt directly threatened the integrity of the Persian empire - the
states of mainland Greece remained a potential menace to its future stability.
▪ However, they were much smaller
o Darius resolved to subjugate and pacify Greece and the Aegean, and to
punish those involved in the Ionian Revolt.
o The Ionian Greeks wanted freedom from Persian control – revolt was
inevitable – the deposition of tyrants!
- BC 499, Aristagoras, the ruler of the Ionian city Miletus, yearned to control the city
of Naxos. He tried to gain help from surrounding cities but failed. Fearing
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punishment from Darius I (Persian Emperor from BC 521-486) or Artaphrenes, for
breaking the agreement, he incited a rebellion.
o He stirred the people up because he was frightened that he;d be punished
for trying to colonise somewhere else
- Aristagoras encouraged the Ionians to remove their leaders. Many cities in the area
rebelled and ousted their Persian rulers. Knowing that it would not be long until
Darius retaliated, Aristagoras traveled to Sparta and appealed to King Cleomenes (Cli
omen es)for aid. Would not assist.
- Approached Athens for help – agreed. The Ionian fleet, bolstered by Athenian and
Eretrian (Er ritrian)ships, sailed to Ephesus in BC 498. Persians troops in the area met
the Greeks at Ephesus and massacred most of them. the Ionians set the city ablaze
and retreated .
o Lots of Greeks lost their lies for helpig the Ioias
The Battle of Marathon
- Darius did not lead the invasion of mainland Greece but appointed General Datis in
charge of his cosmopolitan army. Second-in-oad Artapheres, Darius ephe,
led the Persian cavalry.
- Persian archers faced heavy infantry of Greek hoplites with their large round shields,
spears ad sords, orgaised i a solid lie or phala here eah as shield
protected both himself and comrades in a wall of bronze. VICTORY FOR THE GREEKS!
o They were able to protect themselves better because of their new shields
- Victory dedications and statues were erected and, for the Greeks, the Battleof
Marathon became legendary. The Persian fleet fled back to Asia but they would be
back, and next time, in even bigger numbers.
The Battle of Thermopylae
- Within a decade, King Xeres otiued his predeessor Darius isio - in 480 BCE
he gathered a huge invasion force to attack Greece again, this time via the narrow
pass at Thermopylae on the east coast.
o They could not take large numbers or ships through the pass
- 480 BCE a small band of Greeks led by Spartan King Leonidas held the pass for three
days but subcumbed. At the same time, the Greek fleet managed to hold off the
Persians at the indecisive naval battle at Artemision. Together, allowed for its Greek
cities to steel themselves for the bigger challenges yet to come.
- Four days of fighting, on the fifth, Xerxes, sent in the Immortals. Failed. Shorter
spears than the Greeks, superior numbers did not count in the confined space of
battle. Spartans, abandoned a religious ceremony to send aid rebuilding a wall
across the Thermopylae pass to help hold back the Persians.
o The Immortals is like the SWAT Team, who come in when the ordinary police
ouldt hadle the situatio.
o The iortals failed. The didt hae as ig spears
FAST FACTS ABOUT THE BATTLE OF THERMOPYLAI
✓ Betrayal by Ephialtes, (eh fee allt tees) so Eurydemos – revealed to Xerxes a track
leading over the hills to Thermopylai.
✓ Ephialtes thought the other side was going to win, so he betrayed
✓ Greek lookouts heralded a warning that the Persians were advancing – the Greeks
changed tactics coming further out into the pass – they knew they were doomed but
tried to defend the wall.
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Document Summary
In a nutshell - persia, under the rule of darius (r. 522-486 bce), was already expanding into mainland europe and had subjugated ionia, thrace, and macedonia by the beginning of the 5th century bce. Darius(cid:859) sights (cid:449)ere athens and the rest of greece motivation most likely to quell troublesome states on the western side of the empire: not just about colonization. Lots of fires happening in the little states. The ionian rebellion, the offering of earth and water in submission to the persian satrap in 508 bce, and the attack by athens and eretria on the city of sardis in 499. Battles ensued: satrap - ki(cid:374)g or go(cid:448)er(cid:374)(cid:373)e(cid:374)t(cid:859)s po(cid:449)ers. 491 bce darius once agai(cid:374) se(cid:374)t e(cid:374)(cid:448)o(cid:455)s to (cid:272)all for the greeks(cid:859) su(cid:271)(cid:373)issio(cid:374) to persia(cid:374) rule. The greeks sent a no-nonsense reply by executing the envoys, and athens and sparta promised to form an alliance for the defense of greece: sparta joins with athens to defend land from the persians.
