Transcript slides

499 BC Aristagoras of Miletos stirs up
rebellion in Ionia. Rebuffed by Kleomenes
of Sparta, but gets aid from Athens and
Eretria
494 BC Darius’ Persians raze Miletos. End of
Ionian Revolt
“Do not forget the Athenians.”
490 BC Persians burn Eretria. Battle of
Marathon
Pheidippides
Miltiades
487 BC Revival of ostracism at Athens
486 BC Death of Darius. Succeeded by Xerxes
483 BC Athenian miners strike major vein of
silver. Themistokles persuades
Athenians to build fleet
481 BC (autumn) and 480 BC (spring) Greek
states form alliance against Persians
480 BC Persian forces cross Hellespont to
Greece
Battles at Thermopylae and Artemesion
Ephialtes
Leonidas
Immortals
Boiotia
Dienekes
480 BC Persians sack Athens. Battle of Salamis
(Sept) Xerxes withdraws troops, goes
to Asia Minor leaving army under
Mardonios
479 BC (spring) Mardonios fails to detach
Athens from allies
479 BC (summer) Battle of Plataia
Pausanias
Tegea
Battle of Mykalé
Leotykhidas
Samos
480 BC Gelon of Syracuse defeats
Carthaginians at Himera
Some thoughts:
Who actually fought the Persians?
Other concerns (e.g. Spartans with Argos,
helots)
The position of the aristocrats. Persian
Wars reflecting class struggle?
Herodotus (484?-425? BC)
From Halicarnassus, Asia Minor
Travelled in Asia Minor, at Black Sea,
Mesopotamia, Babylon, Egypt
447 BC In Athens
443 BC Helps found Athenian
colony in Italy
“Father of History”