Persian Empire and the Greeks

Persia Attacks the Greeks

• In Section 2, it was explained that the Greeks built strong but separate city-states.
• Simultaneously, the Persians were constructing a powerful empire to the east.
• It was only a matter of time before Persia attempted to invade Greece.
• The Persian Empire united a wide area under a single government.
• Both Sparta and Athens played roles in defeating the Persians.
• The people of Persia lived in what is today southwestern Iran.
• Early Persians were warriors and nomads who herded cattle.
• For a period of time, they were dominated by others until Cyrus the Great united the Persians into a powerful kingdom.
• Under Cyrus's reign (559-530 B.C.), Persia began building an empire larger than any seen before.
• In 539 B.C.,Cyrus's armies swept into Mesopotamia and captured Babylon.
• They then took over northern Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, Syria, Canaan, and the Phoenician cities. Cyrus treated all his new subjects well, allowing the captive Jews in Babylon to return home.
• Cyrus's merciful rule helped hold his growing empire together.
• Leaders following Cyrus expanded Persian territory, conquering Egypt, western India, and Thrace.
• The Persian Empire was about the size of the continental United States.
• The Persians built miles of roads to connect their vast holdings
• The Royal Road stretched from Asia Minor to Susa (the Persian capital).
• Along the Royal Road, the Persians set up roadside stations to supply food, shelter, and fresh horses to the king's messengers.
• As the Persian Empire grew, it became difficult to manage.
• Darius reorganized the government to make it work better when he came to the throne in 521 B.C.
• Darius divided the empire into 20 provinces called satrapies.
• Each satrapy had its own ruler, called a satrap, meaning "protector of the kingdom"
• The Satrap acted as tax collector, judge, chief of police, and head recruiter for the Persian army.
• All the satraps answered to the Persian king.
• The king's power depended upon his troops, Persia had a large army of professional soldiers.
• The government paid people to be full-time soldiers.
• Among the soldiers, 10,000 specially trained soldiers guarded the king and were called the Immortals.
• The Persian religion was called Zoroastrianism which was founded by Zoroaster. Zoroaster born in 660 B.C., preached after seeing visions as a young man.
• Zoroaster believed in one god viewed this supreme being as the creator of all things and a force of goodness.
• Zoroaster recognized evil in the world.
• Humans had the freedom to choose between right and wrong, and that goodness would triumph in the end.
• The Persians practiced Zoroastrianism for centuries.
• Both Sparta and Athens played roles in defeating the Persians.
• As Greeks set up colonies in the Mediterranean, they often clashed with the Persians.
• By the mid-500s B.C., Persia already controlled the Greek cities in Asia Minor.
• In 499 B.C., Athenian army helped the Greeks in Asia Minor rebel against their Persian rulers.
• The rebellion failed, but King Darius decided the mainland Greeks had to be stopped from interfering in the Persian Empire.
• In 490 B.C., a Persian fleet landed 20,000 soldiers on the plain of Marathon, a short distance from Athens for the Battle of Marathon.
• For several days, the Persians waited there for the Athenians to advance.
• The Athenians had only 10,000 soldiers compared to the Persians' 20,000.
• The Athenians held back in the hills overlooking the plain and didn't engage in battle.
• The Persian commander decided to sail south and attack Athens directly
• His first move was to board the horsemen (cavalry) which was the strongest part of the Persian army
• The Greeks charged down from the hills and onto the plain of Marathon.
• They caught the Persian foot soldiers standing in the water, waiting their turn to board the ships.
• Since they were unable to defend themselves, the Persians were easily defeated.
• Pheidippides raced nearly 25 miles (40.2 km) from Marathon to Athens where he died a he announced "Victory"
• Marathon races are named for this famous run and are just over 26 miles long.
• After Darius died in 486 B.C., his son Xerxes became the Persian king.
• In 480 B.C., Xerxes launched a new invasion of Greece, this time with about 180,000 troops and thousands of warships and supply vessels.
• The Greeks joined forces to defend themselves with Sparta and their king, Leonidas, leading the soldiers, and Athens providing the navy.
• Themistocles came up with a plan to fight the Persians.
• The Greeks knew that the huge Persian army marched south, it depended on shipments of food brought in by boat.
• Themistocles argued to attack the Persian ships and cut off food supplies to the army
• The Greeks needed to stall the Persian army before it reached Athens.
• The Greeks decided to block the Persians at Thermopylae which was a narrow pass through the mountains that was easy to defend
• 7,000 Greek soldiers held off the Persians there for two days.
• The Spartans in the Greek army were especially brave
• Because a traitor directed the Persians to a mountain path that led them around the Greeks the Greeks lost the battle at Thermopylae.
• King Leonidas had sent most of his troops to safety, he and several hundred others, however, stayed behind and fought to the death.
• Their valiant stand gave Athens enough time to assemble 200 ships.
• The Greek fleet attacked the Persian fleet in the strait of Salamis with the Greek expected to have the upper hand due to the battle happening in tight spaces
• Greek ships were smaller, faster, and easier to steer than the big Persian ships, which became easy targets.
• The Greek plan worked and the Greeks destroyed almost the entire Persian fleet.
• The Persian army marched on and burned the city although the Greeks had already fled
• The Greeks formed the largest Greek army ever assembled with solid body armor, longer spears, and better training
• The Greek army crushed the Persian army at Plataea, northwest of Athens, convincing the Persians to retreat to Asia Minor.
• By working together, the Greek city-states had saved their homeland from invasion.
• When the Greeks defeated the Persian army, they helped to weaken the Persian empire which was already facing internal problems.
• Persia remained intact for almost 150 more years although other Persian rulers who came after Darius and Xerxes, raised taxes to gain more wealth.
• They spent the gold and silver that flowed into the treasuries on luxuries for the royal court
• The high taxes angered their subjects and caused many rebellions and the Persian royal family fought over who was to be king
• Many of the later Persian kings were killed by other family members who wanted the throne
• Persian kings had many wives and children and the sons would plot to take over the throne so six of the nine rulers, after Darius, were murdered
• By the time Alexander invaded the empire in 334 B.C., the Persians were no match for his troops.
• By 330 B.C., Alexander ruled over all his lands as the last Persian king was dead.

The Persian Empire, originating in modern-day Iran, expanded rapidly under Cyrus the Great, conquering vast territories including Mesopotamia and Asia Minor. This expansion inevitably led to conflict with the independent Greek city-states. Both Sparta and Athens played crucial roles in resisting and ultimately defeating the Persian invasions.