12 Questions
Who founded Persia in 550 BCE?
Cyrus the Great
Which Greek city-state defeated the Persians at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BCE?
Athens
Who was the leader of Athens during the Persian Wars?
Themistocles
What did Darius demand from the Greek city-states as a form of submission, which they refused to provide?
EARTH AND WATER
Which emperor crossed the Hellespont with a diverse army to invade Greece?
Xerxes
Which pass was known as the Hot Gates during the Persian Wars?
Thermopylae
Who betrayed the Greeks by revealing the path to Xerxes?
Ephialtes
Which city-state was led by Pericles during the Peloponnesian Wars?
Athens
What battle saw the Athenians using naval rams and clever tactics to secure victory?
Battle of Salamis
What led to the end of Greek democracy after the wars?
Plague and war
Which country did Sparta trade land for gold with to build ships against Athens?
Persia
The rebellion of the helots led to tension between which two major city-states?
Athens and Sparta
Study Notes
Persian Wars
- Lasted from 499 to 449 BCE between Persia and Greek city-states, mainly Athens and Sparta.
- Caused by Ionian revolt against Persian rule, with Athenians helping, leading to Persian revenge on Athens.
Key Leaders
- Persian leaders: Darius II and Xerxes.
- Athenian leaders: Miltiades (defeated Persians at Marathon) and Themistocles (skilled Greek military leader).
- Spartan leader: King Leonidus.
Battle of Marathon
- 490 BCE: Persia should have won, but underestimated Athenians.
- Pheidippides ran between Marathon and Sparta, and then between Marathon and Athens.
- Spartans did not help Athenians.
Battle of Thermopylae
- 480 BCE: Xerxes crossed the Hellespont, using ships tied together, with a diverse army (Assyrians, Phoenicians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Jews, and Macedonians).
- Spartans, led by King Leonidus, wore early dog tags with identifying marks.
- Spartans used phalanx formation at the narrow pass, but Ephialte betrayed Greeks, revealing a path behind Spartan forces.
Battle of Salamis
- 480 BCE: Sea battle where Athenian ships had naval rams and were more maneuverable, using clever tactics to win.
Battle of Plataea
- 479 BCE: Resounding victory for Greek city-states, pushing Persians out.
Peloponnesian Wars
- Lasted from 431 to 404 BCE between Athens and Sparta, and their allies.
- Caused by Athens' growing power, and rivalry between Peloponnesian League (led by Sparta) and Delian League (led by Athens).
Key Events in Peloponnesian Wars
- Rebellion of helots, with Spartans declining Athenian help, offended them.
- Athenians built a wall around the city, connecting to the port of Piraeus.
- Spartans used siege tactics, and a plague spread through the city, leading to a truce.
- Battle of Syracuse: Athens attacked, hoping to disrupt Sparta's grain supply, but lost their navy.
- Spartan-Persian alliance: traded land for gold to build ships to equal Athens', leading to Athenian surrender in 404 BCE.
Consequences
- Thousands died from war and plague.
- Countryside was destroyed.
- Greek democracy ended, with King Philip of Macedonia conquering the Greek peninsula.
Test your knowledge on the Persian Wars that took place between 499 to 449 BCE involving Persia and the Greek City States, mainly Athens and Sparta. Learn about key events, leaders like Darius II and Xerxes, and influential figures such as Miltiades and Themistocles.
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