Persian War Flashcards
What initiated the Persian and Greek tensions?
Cyrus the Great conquered Ionia (populated by Greeks) and were made subject to the Persians
they hate them
What did the Ionians do?
Rise up against Persia in the Ionian Revolt
What made Persia angry?
Athens and Eretria agreed to send help to Ionia
Darius sends large army to Eritrea and punish/relocate the people there
What did Persia do after defeating Eretria?
The sail to Marathon (26 miles outside Athens)
tell athenians that resistance is futile
What did Athenians decide to do when Persia arrives in Marathon?
They choose to fight
Ask rest of Greece for help, they say no
Athenians defeat Persians at Marathon
How did Athenians defeat Persia at Marathon?
Home field advantage
Persian soldiers aren’t really Persian, don’t have loyalty to Persia since most are subjects
Greeks use iron armor, Persians don’t
What does Darius decide to do after his loss?
Decides to build large army to conquer all of Greece
Who takes over Darius in 480 BC?
Xerxex, his son
not a good military leader
How did Zerxes prepare?
gathered 200,000 person army
prepares 600 triemes
What was the Hellenic League?
the union of Greek polis’s to fight Persians
400 triemes and 40,000 hoplites
What was the Greek’s plan?
stop the Persians at Thermopylae
What was Thermopylae?
a passage from Northern Greece to Central Greece
a narrow path between mountain and sea
doesn’t allow Persians to surround Greeks
They send 7000 soldiers and 300 Spartans lead by Spartan King, Leonidas
What happened at Thermopylae?
A Greek traitor tells Persians of secret way around
the Greeks figure it out
Leonidas sacrifices himself to fulfill prophecy
Persians break through and claim victory
What did Greeks do after Persians break through Thermopylae?
Central Greeks evacuate to Southern Greece
Persia captures and burns Athens down
What happened at Salamis?
Xerxes camps his navy there
decides to send his navy down the narrow channel
