The Greeks and the Persians

The ancient Greeks traced their history to mythological events and their birth rights to the Gods and Goddesses. The major event in the early history of ancient Greece was the Trojan War. This is that most famous of ancient wars that the Greeks ended with a crafty idea and a gift of the Trojan Horse.

The term Greco-Persian Wars against the Persians with the more common name Persian Wars. Most of our information about the wars comes from the Greeks. It was not just Greeks against Persians, and not all the Greeks on the Greek side. The Persian Wars; covers the invasions of Greece by two Persian kings from about 492 B.C. to 449/448 B.C.

Earlier attempts by the Persian kings to control Greece had extended the Persian Empire around the Mediterranean coast by taking over Greek colonies.

Some Greek city states joined Persia, as did other non-Greeks, such as the Egyptians, but many, under the leadership of Sparta, on land, and under the dominance of Athens, at sea, were in opposition of the Persian forces. Before their invasion of Greece, there were revolts within the Persian territory.

Revolts within Persian territories continued even during the war. When Egypt revolted, the Greeks helped the Egyptians when they rebelled against the Persians.

The Persian Wars are dated 492-449/448 B.C. However, there were two mainland invasions of Greece, in 490 and 480-479 B.C. The Persian Wars ended in 449, but by this time Athens had developed her own empire. Conflicts between the Athenians and the allies of Sparta continued...

 The battle of the Thermopylae began when a fleet of Persian ships had sailed along the coastline from northern Greece into the eastern Aegean Sea towards the mountains at Thermopylae. The Greeks faced the Persian army at a pass that controlled the only road between Thessaly and Central Greece. Spartan King Leonia’s was in charge of the Greek forces that tried to hold back the Persian army, to delay them, and keep them from attacking the rear of the Greek navy, which was under Athenian control.

Spartan soldiers were supposed to arrive and help defend Thermopylae against the Persians. Unfortunately for after a couple of days, a traitor led the Persians around the route behind the Greek army, eliminating the chance of Greek victory.