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Thermopylae & Artemesium

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Greece and Persia

The Battle of Marathon

• Persians and Athenians clashed at Marathon

• Persians were unexpectedly defeated

• Darius’ son Xerxes planned another attack in 480 BCE

The Battle of Thermopylae• Persians vs. small group of Spartans

and allies• Spartans held off Persians for 7 days• Persians won battle• Meanwhile, Athens prepared for

Persian invasion• Naval engagement at Artemesium

occurs at same time

ArtemisiumArtemisium

Athens: 127Athens: 127

Corinth: 40Corinth: 40

Megara: 20Megara: 20

Aegina: 18Aegina: 18

Lacedaemon: 10Lacedaemon: 10

Commander was the Spartan EURYBIADES

‘At an earlier stage it had been suggested that the Athenians should command the Greek navy but there was resistance to this and the Athenians gave way. They considered that the survival of Greece was the greatest priority and reckoned that t dispute over who should lead would be fatal

HERODOTUS: The fleet (of the Persians) the Greeks saw facing them at Artemisium was in a far better state and far larger than they had expected. They were alarmed and began to plan retreat. Realising this, the Euboeans begged Eurybiades to stay and give them a little time to move their children and households to safety. They could not persuade Eurybiades but they did manage to bribe the Athenian general, Themistocles, with 30 talents to ensure that the Greek fleet stayed where it was and fought off the coast of Euboea. Themistocles managed this by giving Eurybiades five talents out of this sum… Only one other general, Adimantus the Corinthian, was unwilling to follow Eurybiades’ lead; Themistocles sent him three talents and he too was won over. So the Euboeans got what they wanted and Themistocles gained from the deal as well, secretly keeping the rest of the money

The Euboeans wanted safety for their islandThe generals were paid off

Artemisium

The narrow waters were an advantage to the Greeks, who had small, maneuverable triremes

BEFORE THE BATTLE: PERSIAN MOVEMENTS

The Persians arrived at dawn and had heard the Greek fleet was small. When they saw it, they wanted to attack immediately BUT they waited, ‘they did not want a single Greek to escape.’ PLAN: They sailed 200 ships around Euboea to the Euripus, to bar the Greeks’ retreat.

Artemisium

Euripus strait

Scyllias the diver

Scyllias, from Scione, was part of the Persian fleet. He had long wanted to defect to the Greeks though.

1.He dived into the sea at Aphetae and did not come up until he reached Artemisium, swimming 10 miles (16km) underwater2.He got to Artemisium by boat

Provides intelligence about the wrecked Persian ships at Cape Sepias AND about the 200 ships sailing around Euboea

CAPE SEPIAS – Persian wrecked

ships

ARTEMISIUM – where Greek

fleet is

APHETAE – where Persian

ships are

DAY 1: THE BATTLE BEGINSGreeks wanted to stay in a defensive position during the day and put to sea at midnight and move against the ships coming around Euboea.

No attack came, so by late afternoon, they attacked the Persians

The Persians thought the Greeks were mad to attack with such a small fleet.

The Greeks gave a signal and the ships formed in a circle. They then attacked.

DAY 1

• Day 1 was inconclusive. • Persians did less well than they

had expected.• During the day, one Greek ship

from the Persians deserted; the Athenians rewarded them after the war

Greeks

Persians

‘It rained heavily and thundered during the night. The corpses and wreckage from the battle were driven to Aphetae by the storm; they washed up against the prows of the Persian ships and became entangled with their oars. This and the noise of the storm alarmed the Persians greatly.’

Evening of Day 1

‘That night was much worse for the ships sailing around Euboea, however. The same storm hit them in the open sea and it was the end for them.‘

‘This was brought about by Zeus himself in order that thee Greek and Persian forces should be

more evenly matched.’

DAY 2

53 more Athenian ships arrive

The Persians made no move

all day after the sufferings of

the night

The Greeks are encouraged

They hear about the total destruction of the

barbarian forces off Euboea

The Athenians waited until the same hour as the day before, then sailed out and attacked some

Cilician ships, sank them and sailed back to Artemisium as night fell

DAY 3The Persians, angered by the damage done to them and fearing Xerxes’ anger, did not wait for the Greeks to make the first move but ordered their fleet to sail out around midday.The Persians sailed towards the Greeks in a crescent

formation, intending to encircle the Greeks. The Greeks held their position, then moved forwards.The Greeks lost many ships and

men, but the barbarians lost even more. The Egyptians fought best for the Persians and the Athenians for the GreeksThe Greeks took possession of the wreckage. The Athenians suffered worst of all: half their ships were damaged.

Natural harbours in Euboea

• Themistocles called the generals together :1. light fires2. slaughter the Euboean sheep (better that they should eat them, than

the enemy)• The Greeks decided to withdraw south when they hear about the loss at

Thermopylae• Themistocles took the best Athenian ships and sailed down the coast, calling at

the beaches where there was drinking water.• Themistocles inscribed messages in the rocks on the shores, encouraging the

Ionians to defect from the Persian army:• “Remember you are descended from us and this war was begun by you and not

by us”

Persian navy sails down

towards Athens

The significance of ArtemisiumBecause of their losses, the Persian fleet was no longer big enough to be able to divide itself: half to attack Peloponnese and contain Greek fleet at the same time