Why were the Greeks able to defeat the Persians in 480/79 B.
The Persian Empire had been going from strength to strength since Cyrus had become ruler of Persia in 559 B.C. Before he took power Persia had been a largely unimportant country in the area but after a short time Cyrus had conquered the majority of the Mediterranean area and the borders of his Empire stretched as far as Modern day Afghanistan and northern Africa, after his death the consequent successors to the role of leader were to also add to empire. There was however one missing piece to the empire and that was Greece that now found itself almost entirely surrounded by countries that were either directly controlled by their ancient enemies or were political allies of them. As their traditional enemies and the only country in the area resisting their power, it was inevitable that the Persians would have to invade. But how when surrounded and outnumbered by a such a huge power that had defeated most the countries it had gone to war with was Greece able to come out of their war with Persia victorious? I will look at whether it was superior tactics used by the Greeks that led to victory or was it the bad tactics used by the Persians that led them to defeat. I will also discuss the problems that faced both sides before and during the war to see if their were political reasons behind the outcome or was it simply down to the military to answer the question.
As with most wars their were long and short term causes that triggered the events in 480/79. Persia and Greece had long been antagonists towards each other with niggling grievances going back centuries but there was not another that influenced as much as Persia had done through culture, trade links and violence. The major trigger in this period however was from 494 the Ionian revolt, which eventually led to the Persians taking revenge on the Greeks for the sacking of Sardis by invading and seizing such cities as Argos and Thebes.
The Ionian revolt took place between 499-493 BC and it was this that started the war between Persia and Greece. ... The Second Persian War was between 480-479 BC. ... In 480 BC, The Battle of Themopylae was held. ... One of the final battles of the Persian Wars was the Battle of Salamis, which was in 480 BC. ... Had they not have held together so strongly, they would surely have been defeated from the start. ...
Battle of Marathon (490 BC) In 499 B.C. the Greek cities of Ionia rebelled against Persian rule. ... Battle of Thermopylae (480 BCE) This map shows the route taken by Persian soldiers in 480 B.C. to attack the Spartan forces under King Leonidas. ... Battle of Salamis (480 BCE) This map shows how the allied Greek forces defeated the Persians in the Salamis strait in 480 B.C. ... After this defeat the Persians abandoned their expansionist aims and the independence of Greek civilization was secured. After this defeat the Persians abandoned their expansionist aims and the independence of Gree...
Since the battle of Marathon in 490 BC the Greeks knew an invasion from Persia was looming. ... This is when Themistokles, "who was destined to play so great a part in the war of 480 BC, came to the front of Athenian politics" . ... The war was now upon Greece but the time allowed between Marathon and the invasion of 480 BC proved to be just enough time to set up an adequate defense. ... Thermopylai was a defeat for the Greeks but their forces took down many more Persians than Persians did Greeks. ... This accounted for the desertion of Lemnian vessel and partially was the reason why the small...
Greek tragedy flourished in the 5th century BC. ... He fought successfully against the Persians at Marathon in 490 BC, at Salam as in 480 BC, and possibly at Plataea in the following year. ... The titles of 79 of his plays are known, but only 7 have survived. ... As a young man, he was chosen to lead the chorus of youths who celebrated the naval victory at Salamis in 480 BC. In 468 BC, at the age of 28, he defeated Aeschylus, whose preeminence as a tragic poet had long been undisputed, in a dramatic competition. ...
The "Strangford Apollo" sculpted around 490 BC is an excellent example of the outward humanization which characterizes the Archaic style Greece once used (Pollitt 74). ... The "Kritios Boy" sculpted around 480 BC seems to turn and ask you a question. ... After defeating the Persians, the atmosphere in Greece was very confident yet self-questioning. ... Socrates, a great philosopher, was recorded convincing the painter Parrhaius that art is able to portray the soul, in a sense that it can capture character and emotional reactions in the faces of the figures it depicts (Cook 56). ... In orde...
The Greek force defeated the Persian force, lead by Xerxes, in 479 BC. ... The tomb of Cyrus, who was the Persian King from around 555 BC until 529 BC, is a perfect example of this point. ... There are many reasons why the ancient Greeks could not accept that others had influenced their culture. ... Greek art made before 480 BC is considered archaic art. ... This is why Greek cultural discourse seems to be entirely concerned with self-identity, because the Greeks saw all others as being below their level of radiance....
When Cyrus of Persia usurped the throne of Ionia around 547 BC, he favored a rule of tyrants for the Ionians. ... Strangely enough, the Ionians did not revolt until around 499 BC. ... Nevertheless, it was likely that the Ionia's aid neglected them because around 494 BC, the Persians defeated the Ionian Navy, ending the rebellion. ... In 480 BC, Darius passed away leaving his heir, Xerxes, to be head of throne. ... The war brought a new sense of freedom and confidence to Greece once it ended in 479 BC at the battle of Plataea. ...
WRITE A SHORT CRITIQUE ON CLASSICAL GREEK ART WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO EITHER GREEK POTTERY OR GREEK SCULPTURE. ... The famous sculpture of this period was the Cycladian Idol dated from 3rd millennium BC made from island marble. ... Beginning about 750 BC, animals and humans were introduced, represented by slim, abstracted figures, such as a dead warrior lying in state or a chariot with horses. ... (Encarta Encyclopedia) During the Archaic period (600 - 480 BC), as Greek society expanded geographically and economically, greater wealth and foreign contacts led to the development of for...
In all cases throughout the Persian invasions of Greece from 492-478 BC the Greeks were far outnumbered by their opponents and were forced to rely heavily on whatever advantages they could create for themselves. ... Marathon The battle of Marathon in 490 BC was the first great example of bravery and strategic prowess on the part of the Greeks in a long line of outstanding feats which appeared to defy all odds. ... (Fig. ) When the Greeks finally closed with the Persians the bulk of the Persian army was wasted on the small thin line of Athenians in the middle, while the Greek army was able...