Well, the war's losses caused much distress which led to a group of antidemocratic citizens to overturn the democracy in 411 B.C. Other citizens were not fond of this so they restored the democratic government. Athens continued to fight on and the end came during the last ten years of the war. This is because the actions had moved to the east, along the western coast of Anatolia and its islands; this was known to be the western boundary of the Persian Empire. The Persian Empire had sent money to help the Spartans build a strong navy.
Despite war being one of the most immoral, barbaric, and most appalling of all human creations, the Greeks did the impossible, by successfully portraying war as something of beauty, patriotism, freedom and self-sacrifice. Therein lays a reason the significance of the Battle at Thermopylae. That one battle not only captured the spirit of the Greeks, more specifically the Spartans, in three days but became a turning point of the art of war. But the Battle of Thermopylae more importantly defended the very future of the modern
The helots had revolted following an earthquake and had taken up position in the strategic stronghold of mount Ithome. Epilates saw Sparta as a rival and enemy and Cimon managed to persuade the assembly to send a force to help. On arrival the Spartans regretted asking the Athenians and sent them home. Thucydides said this was because of the bold and evolutionary ideas of the Athenians that led to this idea. Thucydides said that the Athenians returning home were deeply offended with this treatment by the Spartans and said it is not what they deserved.
Themistocles was responsible to a great extent for the Greek victory in the Persian wars. His role as both a political and military leader were crucial in the naval development of Athens and the Greek states, which allowed them to win the battle of the sea, resulting in a sense of confidence allowing them to be the victors of the final battles fought in Plataea and Mycale. Themistocles also played a vital role in both the battle of Artemisium and Salamis, which were significant to the overall Greek victory over the Persians. His political skills of oration proved of paramount importance in maintaining the Greek unity at Salamis as well as convincing Greek citizens to trust his tactics and methods, which evidently seized victory. The battle of Artemisium highlights Themistocles role in achieving victory for the Greeks.
Its final outcome went down to the superior battle strategy of Miltiades and also went down to a bit of luck. It was the first Greek victory against the Persians and filled the Greek states with confidence that they could repel any Persian attacks. The battle occurred on the 12th September 490bc and the Persians were led by Datis and Artephernes while according to Herodotus the Greeks were led by a representatives of each of the 10
Yes, the Spartans died fighting a foreign invader. But so do countless terrorists. Yet few would consider them "good guys." Those who do are then not much different from Westerners who cheer for the Spartans. Persia was drawn into a protracted war against terror, much the same way the U.S. was.
But King Darius was not going to forgive the Athenian insult. In 490BC, against impossible odds, the Athenian successfully defended against the Persians. However, the frustrated Persian king wanted revenge. Every day, he would have a slave say “Remember the Athenians” before every dinner. However, his dream of burning Athens to the ground would not be realized, and this lust for revenge would be passed down to his son Xerxes.
How did the experience of the Ionian Revolt and the Battle of Marathon affect the Greek defense against the Persian invasion of 480 BC? The Ionian Revolt and the Battle of Marathon provided the Greeks with a vast experience of Persian tactics and the opportunity to review their own performance in warring with this power. Through the victory achieved at Marathon and the loss in Ionia the Greeks were able to use their knowledge of Persia to decide on who would lead their force, gave them the motivation to form alliances, enabled them to devise effective strategies for fighting the large Persian army and motivated far reaching naval reforms. The reactions of the Persians to the Greeks as a result of these two battles also prompted the Greeks into action, as they were more aware of this threatening foe. The involvement of Athens and Eretria in the Ionian revolt according to Ehrenberg “put Athens into the center of the unfolding story of the Persian wars”.
It was fought at the pivotal point in the conflict when things were looking grim for Greece, with Athens abandoned and only the Peloponnese remaining free. The engagement was supposed to be an easy victory for the Persians: their ships were better-designed and more numerous. Their crews were also more experienced and better-trained. However, it was Greek tactics and Persian over-confidence that changed the course of the battle, the result of which was thought by many to be a foregone
Thermopylae was a passage through a large Greek mountain area. The Greeks chose to try to defend their land here once they found out the large Persian army would have to go through this small mountain pass in order to capture the Greek land they wanted (Herodotus, 1972). The Spartans led the Greek forces in the unsuccessful defense of this land and every Spartan warrior was killed. Some scholars say the Spartans realized they would be killed before they went into battle but they still chose to fight and defend their land (Bradford, 2004). The Persians were led by Xerxes and with this victory, he led the Persian troops from Thermopylae through Locris and Phocis into Boeotia without resistance.