Persian and Greek warfare in ancient history

Persian - Greek Wars

The origins of the conflict on the part of the Persians

The Greco-Persian wars were conflicts that took place five centuries before our era between the Greek city states and the Persian Empire. Around the year 560 BC, Persian emperor Croesus went to conquer the Greek city states in Asia Minor and forced them into paying an annual tribute to the "King of Kings."

The Persians dreamed of expanding world wide and had a strong desire to set the grounds for the largest empire known to mankind. Their aspirations were fed by Greece's rich land for agriculture and several working and fighting skills they possessed.

Development of the conflict throughout time

However immense was the Persians' determination to conquer Greece, the city states were unwilling to surrender. In 499 BC the Greeks launched the Ionian Revolt against the Persian persecutors. In 490 BC Persian King Darius I wanted to punish the rebellion and attacked the Greeks at Attica. He was defeated in what is today known as the Battle of Marathon.

In 480, Darius' successor Xerxes I reached Attica and managed to burn down the city of Athens. Having evacuated the city, the Greeks were once again able to defeat the Persians in the Battle of Salamis.

Even if defeated, the Persians were yet highly determined to add the developed city states of Greece to their wast empire. Probably among the reasons behind the continuous attacks were Greeks' unwillingness to surrender which provoked the Persians' anger.

Changes in the war

Being overwhelmed by the continuous attempts made by the Persians in order to conquer them and by the recent victories, the Greeks switched their position from pray to hunter. The Greeks joined forces with all the island states into the alliance of Delian League. In 478, the alliance took over the city of Byzantium. The Greeks initiated the process of retaking their cities previously conquered by Persians and set tributes. Under the lead of Alexander the Great, Greece enlarged its spatial boundaries "from southern Egypt to the gates of China." (Robert Morkot, Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Greece)

Ending the war

Twenty years after the commence of Persian attacks, Greek military general Themistocles managed to obviate the Persian threat over Greece. "The Greek victory was aided by the strategy of Themistocles. Xerxes returned to Persia. [...] the defeat of this army in 479 at Plataea near Thebes by a Greek army under the Spartan Pausanias and a Greek naval victory at Mycale on the coast of Asia Minor ended all danger from Persian invasions of Europe." (the History Channel, Persian Wars)

Consequences of the wars