Transcript Fighting the Persian Wars - Mr. Webber 7 Crimson Social Studies

Fighting the Persian Wars
The Spartans and Athenians
The Battle of Marathon
• King Darius sent
messengers to ask for
presents of Greek earth and
water as a sign of submission
to Persian rule.
• Athenian general Miltiades
persuaded forces to unite and
defend Greece against the
Persian forces
• Brilliant military strategy led
to a Greek victory over a
confused and divided Persian
force
http://www.history.com/shows/battles-bc/videos/battles-bc-battle-at-marathon#battles-bc-battle-at-marathon
The Battle of Thermopylae
•Persian King Xerxes, (son of
the deceased King Darius),
invades Greece
• Spartan and Athenian forces
unite to stop Xerxes by land
and sea
• King Leonidas divides his
forces and uses Greece’s
geography to an advantage,
delaying the Persians for days
with only 300 soldiers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2En9cW9bLhc (stop at 8:36 mark)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pgv_1DDs8o (stop at 8:00 mark)
The Battle of Salamis
• After the defeat at
Thermopylae, Athens was
evacuated to keep its citizens safe
• Athenian naval leader
Themistocles used similar
strategies seen in Thermopylae,
only against Persian ships
• Xerxes gave chase into the
narrow straits of Salamis where
his ships were destroyed by more
maneuverable Athenian fleets
• The Greeks used wooden rams
mounted to the front of the ships
to sink Persian ships who were
unable to move quickly enough in
the narrow waterways
Athenian war ship
Faces were painted on the front of the ships in order to scare
the enemy. Thick underwater wooden rams would pierce hulls
and sink the enemy.
Close combat
Athenian ships were more maneuverable and able to coordinate
attacks with communication from top deck to rowers. The
Athenians sank over 300 Persian ships at Salamis.
The Battle of Plataea
• The united forces of Athens
and Sparta held and together
they destroyed the remaining
Persian army
• Xerxes fled Greece and the
threat of Persia conquering all
of Europe was over
United Greeks
In a brief moment of unity, the combined power of the Greek
city-states destroyed much of the largest army in the known
world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nItYBbYRtEc
The end of the Persian War