The Ancient Greek Battle

Anna Hartranft

Week 15, day 3

Important Greek battles

The Ancient Greeks fought many wars against their enemy the Persians. Many of the battles fought in these wars had a significant impact on the development of Ancient Greece. The Battles of Marathon, Thermopylae, Salamis, and Plataea proved to be a major turning point in Ancient Greece.

The Battle of Marathon which occurred 490.B.C. is one of the most famous battles in ancient history. The Greeks fought the Persian army to prevent them from reaching Athens. One of the Greek generals, Miltiades made a passionate request, and convinced the other generals to be aggressive and attack the Persians. He formed a line of Greek soldiers equal to the length of the Persian soldiers. The Greeks sprinted toward the Persians to attack them. For the large army the Persians had, they should’ve won. Over 6,000 Persians were slaughtered, while only 192 Greeks were killed. The Persians that still lived escaped on all their ships and sailed for Athens. The Greek army marched back to Athens in time to prevent the Persians from capturing Athens. This victory over the Persians showed the Greeks that they were more than capable of defending themselves against invaders.

After the great victory at Marathon, the Greeks had a decade of peace before the Persians invaded for the second time. In 480 B.C. the Persians invaded. The Battle of Thermopylae was fought between Greek city-states led by King Leonidas of Sparta and the Persians. It occurred at a narrow mountain pass. The Persian King, Xerxes had a large army and he wanted to conquer Greece. Themistocles, a Greek general, marched a small force of Greek soldiers to the pass to halt the Persian advance. The small force of Greek soldiers held off the Persian army for seven days. They blocked the only road which the Persian army could use. Unfortunately, a local Greek citizen betrayed the Greek army and showed the Persians a small path behind the Greek flank. King Leonidas was aware of the betrayal. He dismissed most of his army, and a small force remained behind to guard their retreat. This small Greek army was overwhelmed from the rear, and everyone was killed. The Greeks took a stand to defend their homes and provided an example against all odds.

The Battle of Salamis was a naval battle between the Greeks and Persians. It was fought at the Straight of Salamis. The Greek army was heavily outnumbered. However, General Themistocles The Battle of Salamis occurred in August 480 B.C. It was a continuation of the second persuaded the Greek allies to battle the Persian navy again. The hope was that a victory prevents destruction by the Persians. The Persian army sailed into the Straits of Salamis. The Persian navy could not maneuver. The Greek fleet took advantage and won a decisive victory. The Persian King, Xerxes retreated back to Asia with most of his army.

Battle of Plataea was the last stand of the Persian army in their attempt to conquer Greece. It was fought in August of 479 B.C. The Persian had won the Battle of Thermopylae. However, at Salamis, the Greeks won a decisive victory, and Xerxes retreated back to Asia. A small portion of his army remained to finish conquering the Greeks. The Persians built a fortified camp at Plataea. The Persians tried to draw out the Greeks with their Calvary, but the Greeks refused to engage. The Greeks began to retreat, and the Persian general ordered his troops to pursue them. The Greeks stopped and fought the Persians. A large number of the Persian soldiers were trapped and killed. The Persian army was destroyed, and the remaining portion of the army retreated. This was a crucial victory for the Greeks, and they went on the offensive against the Persians.

The Battles of Marathon, Thermopylae, Salamis, and Plataea were significant because they had a large impact on the tide of the war. These battles helped to promote patriotism and national pride. The Greeks were able to continue to develop their form of government and civilization. These advances contributed to the formation of western civilization. If the Greeks had lost to the Persians, our countries would not be the same today.