persia and greeks 490-479 BC Flashcards
Aegina
Enemy of Athens
Seaport capital city: Aegina on west coast
Named for demigoddess Nymph, beloved by Zeus
Dorian Greeks
Ties to Dorian states in Peloponnese
Ally of Sparta
Athens VS Aegina;
Trade rivalry in 500s BC
- Causing war, Aegina launched a surprise attack that wrecked Athens harbor installation at Phalerum
When does Aegina give submission to King Darius?
491 BC
Athens is in fear that Aegina is turning into a Persian forward naval base
Athens and Sparta VS Aegina
Athens, scared of Persians owning Aegina
Athens and Sparta were allies at this time
Complains to Sparta about Aegina’s medizing
King Cleomenes of Sparta scared of Persian invasion
Compels Aegina to renounce submission to Darius
- Helped save Athens from Persian Capture in 490 BC
When does King Darius die?
486 BC
Succeeded by King Xerxes
King Xerxes
Reigned 486 to 465 BC
Aged 32
“King of kings”
Determined to fulfill his father Darius’ intended conquest of Greece;
He began collecting a huge army and navy while mainland Greece monitored
Who was Athens statesman in the 490s BC?
Themistocles
In his 40s, from an aristocratic family
Left wing politics
- Radical democracy
- Naval development
His priority was navy > hoplite
He foresaw Sparta one day being a big threat to Athens - which is why he thought defending at Sea would best
VS both Persia and Athens
What did Themistocles do in the 490s BC?
He was archon in 493 BC
Aged 35
He persuaded the assembly to devote resources to make a new harbour for Athens at Piraeus
To be major naval base for Athens
What did Themistocles do in 483 BC?
New vein of silver is discovered at the Athenian silver mine at Laurium
He urged that the money should go to Athens quickly building 100 warships to enlarge Athens navy to 170 ships
Trireme
Superior and complicated design of new naval ships
More power and speed with more oarsmen
= More maneuverability in battle and more momentum behind the ram
Ample power allowed more weight for walkways for hoplites and archers, etc
Taller, faster, more solid than Penteconter
Packed 170 men
Penteconter
Old fashioned warship
50 oars and 50 oarsmen
When did the construction of triremes begin in Athens? What event did they help with?
482 BC - Start of construction
481 BC - 100 triremes built for Athens
480 BC - Xerxes invades
BUT Athens had 180 triremes
Saving Athens and Greece from Persian conquest
Four major battles 480-479 BC and
Battle of Artemisium, summer 480 BC
Battle of Thermopylae
Battle of Salamis, september 480 BC
Battle of Plataea, summer 479 BC
Battle of Mycale, summer 479 BC
Battle of Artemisium
Summer 480 BC
Sea battle
Marginal Persian victory with a lot of losses to the Persian navy
Battle of Thermopylae
Summer 480 BC
Fought simultaneously with Artemisium in a mountain pass close
Land battle
Persian victory with everlasting effects on the West
Persians attack and burn Athens
Athenians combatants evacuate and fight on in the navy and army
Battle of Salamis
September 480 BC
Near Athens
Sea battle
Total Greek victory, destroying Persian navy and saving Greece from conquest
Xerxes retreat back to Asia Minor with remaining navy and army;
Leaves 60,000 Persian troops under Mardonius, to conquer Greece next summer
