MILITARY HISTORY

The Persian Wars (500-479BC)

In each unit we will look at…

Strategy

Tactics

Technology

Leadership

Logistics

A note on strategy & tactics…

“In military usage, a distinction is made between STRATEGY  and TACTICS.

Strategy  is the utilization, during both peace and war, of all of a nation's forces, through large-scale, long-range planning and development, to ensure security or victory.

Tactics deals with the use

and deployment of troops

in actual combat”

"Strategy." Dictionary.com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at Dictionary.com. Web. 24 Aug. 2010. <http://dictionary.reference.com/>.

Logistics“The branch of military science and operations

dealing with the procurement, supply, and maintenance of equipment, with the movement, evacuation, and hospitalization of personnel, with the provision of facilities and services, and with related matters.”

“Logistics." Dictionary.com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at Dictionary.com. Web. 24 Aug. 2010. <http://dictionary.reference.com/>.

QUESTIONHow do each of the aforementioned factors

determine the outcome of a war?Strategy?

Tactics?

Technology?

Leadership?

Logistics?

The Ionian RebellionGreek city-states in Persia rebelled

They were helped by Athens

Persian emperor Darius crushed the rebellion

Darius seeks to burn Athens for revenge and

prepares to invade mainland Greece

4 Major BattlesMarathon (490 BCE)

Thermopylae (480 BCE)

Salamis (480 BCE)

Platea (479 BCE)

The Battle of Marathon 490 BCE

Persian force lands at Marathon

Athenian Assembly (Democratic) Decides to advance to Marathon Sparta does not help, Religious holiday

Greeks 9000 Athenian hoplites 1000 Platean hoplites

Led by Miltiades

Persians 20,000 to 95,000 Persians

Mostly lightly armed archers cavalry

The Battle of MarathonGreeks extend line of hoplites

Well trained, did not break ranks Weak in center, strongest in the sidesPersians strong in center, weak in sides

lightly armed Hoplites slam into Persians at a run Persians flee to ship, cut to pieces

Connection to the PastThe Greeks sent their fastest runner Pheidippides

to carry home news of the victory.

He sprinted 26.2 miles from the battle site to the city-state of Athens

He arrived and said, “Rejoice, we conquer,” and died from exhaustion

The Marathon race is named after this event.

http://www.history.com/videos/the-battle-of-marathon#the-battle-of

2nd Persian InvasionThe Persian Emperor Darius never returned, but his

son Emperor Xerxes did

The Greek ruler Themistocles knew this was a temporary victory. He encouraged the Athenians to build up their fleet and prepare for battle with the Persians.

In 480 B.C. Darius’ son Xerxes sent a larger force to conquer Greece.

He sent 200,000 soldiers and nearly 1,000 ships.

By this time Athens had convinced Sparta to join them in battle. Twenty Greek city-states joined together to meet the Persian invaders.

The Battle of ThermopylaeThe Persian army had little trouble as it moved through northern Greece.

It came to a narrow mountain pass called Thermopylae, there 7,000 Greeks waited for the Persians.

For several days they stopped the Persian army from moving forward

A Small Spartan force of about 300 men commanded by King Leonidas, guarded the mountain pass of Thermopylae.

They held out heroically against he enormous Persian force for three days.

They were betrayed when someone told the Persians how to get in behind the army.

Persians march on Athens• Athens destroyed• But Athenians had spent 10 years building up their

navy

The Battle of Thermopylaehttp://www.history.com/videos/spartans-

implements-of-death#spartans-implements-of-death

Salamis (September 480 BCE)

Battle of SalamisHellenic League uses geography to their advantagePersians outnumber Greeks (700 to 370 ships)Greek ship more maneuverable

Sink most of Persian fleetXerxes returns to Persia

fearing weatherPersian army left undercommand of Mardonius

Victory at Sea / Xerxes goes home

Platea August 479 BCEBattle of Platea

40,000 Hellenic League hoplites vs.Approx. 75,000-120,000 Persians

Greek movement interpreted as retreatSpartans charge Persian linesAthenians defeat Thebans

Persians crushed, invasion stoppedHellenic League takes war into Persian territory

Significance of the Persian WarsPersian empire declined

Greek civilization, democracy and culture flourished

Wealth from increased trade

Started the Greek onslaught against the Persian empireCompleted by Alexander the Great of Macedonia in

331 B.C.E.

-

What factors contributed to Greek victory in the Persian Wars?

Athens in the Age of Pericles The wise and skillful leadership of Pericles brought about a

Golden age in Athens.

This was from about 460 to 429 B.C. and is often called the Age of Pericles.

Pericles believed that all male citizens, regardless of wealth or social class, should take part in government.

He paid salaries to men who held public office. This enabled the poor to serve in the government.

The assembly met several times a month and needed at least 6,000 members present to take a vote. This was direct democracy, a large number of citizens took part in the day to day affairs of the government.

Pericles stated, “We alone, regard a man who takes no interest in public affairs, not as harmless, but as a useless character.

Greek against Greek Many Greeks resented the Athenian

domination. Pericles ---

The Greek world split into rival camps. The other headed by Sparta

A 27 year war broke out in 431 B.C. engulfing all of Greece

Peloponnesian War Athens faced a serious geographic disadvantage from the

start.

Sparta was located inland, the Athenian navy was no good against them.

When Sparta invaded Athens, Pericles allowed people from the countryside to move inside the city.

Overcrowding led to a plague that killed a third of the people.

Internal struggles undermined the Democratic government of Athens.

Sparta even allied with Persia, their old enemy, against the Delian League.

Finally, in 404 B.C., with the help of the Persian navy, the Spartans captured Athens and stripped it of its fleet and empire.

The Aftermath of War

The Peloponnesian war ended Athenian greatness.

In Athens Democratic government suffered: Corruption and selfish interests replaced order.

Fighting continued to disrupt the Greek world.

Sparta itself suffered defeat at the hands of Thebes, another Greek city-state.

Greece was left vulnerable to invasion.

Cultural development was arrested.

Opens Greece up to defeat by…..?????