The Battle of Salamis

Leading up to the Battle of Salamis• The Greeks slowed down the Persian invasion at the Battle of

Thermopylae

• Leonidas, his 300 Spartans and about a 1,000 allied troops fight to the death

• The Persians continue to push south and invade Athens

• Athenians are evacuated to the island of Salamis before the Persian Army arrives

• The Greek Navy led by Themistocles is guarding the island and the Athenian People

Decisive Naval Battle

Persian Navy vs.

Greek City-State Navy (led by Athens)

Date: 480 B.C.E.

Location: In the Saronic Gulf (in between the Island of Salamis and Mainland Greece, near Athens)

Tale of the Tape Persian Empire Greek City-States

Control over the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

600-800 Naval Boats from the Persian Empire

Led by Xerxes

180 ships from Athens, 40 from Corinth, 20 from Megara, 16 from Sparta, and a few other city-states adding naval boats

Total Naval Boats between all the Greek city-states: 375 Trireme (Naval Boats)

Led by Themistocles

Trireme

Events leading up to the Battle of Salamis

• A few months back, the Greeks led by Leonidas and his 300 Spartans were defeated at Thermopylae

• The Persian Army led by the Immortals (elite soldiers) continued to push South to Athens and burned the city to the ground.

• The city of Athens had time to evacuate and almost all of the Athenians were transported by boat to the island of Salamis before the Persians arrived.

Herodotus• Leading historian who writes about the Persian Wars • Also wrote the ancient 7 wonders of the world• A lot of what we know today about the Persian Wars comes

from Herodotus “Father of History” and Plutarch (another leading historian who wrote about the Persian Wars 500 years later)

A trap was set• Themistocles (commander of the Greek forces) sent a

captured slave of Xerxes to his camp saying that he would switch sides and fight with the Persians

• He also stated that if they wanted to attack only half the Greek Triremes were in the strait (narrow body of water) between Mainland Greece and Salamis ready for battle.

• It was a trick to lure the Persian Navy into this narrow channel and it worked!

Events at the Battle of Salamis

-As the Persians approached the narrow Channel, the Greek Navy retreated.-Thinking they would be able to win a quick easy victory, the Persians continued moving their navy through the channel.-The Persians were surrounded and Greece began ramming the Persian boats from all sides

Outcome• The Greeks destroyed the Persian Navy at Salamis destroying

300 ships.• Greece only lost about 40 triremes.

• This was a decisive victory for the Greeks and a devastating blow to the Persian Navy.

• With the Persian Navy this depleted, the thought of ending this campaign and a conquest of Greece was near.

After Salamis

-Xerxes panics and flees back to Persepolis (modern day Iran)-Leaves his 2nd in command general Mardonius to finish off the Greeks-The Second Persian War (481-479 BCE)–Mardonius and a large Persian army winters in Thebes

New Vocab/Important Figures to add

• Hippias- Last King of Athens before it became a Democracy. He is at the Battle of Marathon on the side of the Persians.

• Ephialtes- Greek Traitor who told Xerxes about the secret goat trail at Thermopylae

• Traitor- someone who betrays their people• Conscription- The practice of ordering people by law to serve

in the military. Throughout history, conquered groups would have to do this or some countries/groups would have a draft of their own people.

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Battle of Plataea

-Both sides had amassed huge armies. Almost every city in Greece had sent soldiers to support the effort, and in total they numbered approximately 60,000 hoplites and 20,000 light infantry. Herodotus claims their Persian opponents numbered 1.7 million (probably 300,000)-Plataea was a series of battles that last around 13 days

Aftermath • The Battle of Plataea(Spring, 479 BCE) after a long and hard-fought

battle, the Greeks won and Mardonius was killed • As with all Greek battles, the loot was collected, trophies erected

and funeral rites performed for the dead. Thebes, who had switched sides and joined the Persians, held out for several weeks after Plataea before finally surrendering.

• Most of the Persians were slaughtered and Xerxes would never again try and invade mainland Greece

Last two major battles

Battle of Salamis

• 480 B.C.E.• Greek City-States led by

Athens vs. Persian Empire• Naval Battle • Themistocles vs. Xerxes• Tricks Persians into the

narrow strait near the island of Salamis

• Great Greek Victory• 300 Persian Ships destroyed• 40 Greek Ships destroyed

Battle of Plataea

• Spring of 479 B.C.E.• Lasted 13 days• Greek city-states (80,000)led

by Sparta vs. Persian Empire (300,000) and Thebes• Mardonius led the Persian

Army and is defeated and killed.

• Most of the Persian Army killed• Ends the Persian Wars• Greece would never again be

invaded by the Persian Empire