Greco-Persian Wars

In 499 BC, a great war began between Greek city states and the Persian Empire, ruled by Darius. Ionian Greek city states revolted against Persian rule, and Athens supported them. This caused King Darius to invade Greece in 490 BC, after putting down the earlier Ionian revolt. First, the Greeks defeated the Persians at Marathon. Then, Greeks forces, led by Spartans and King Leonidas defended the pass at Thermopylae against the onslaught brought by King Xerxes. They battled a much larger Persian army bravely but ultimately were wiped out. The Persians then sacked and burned Athens, and went on to fight the Greeks at the strait of Salamis. The Athenian navy tricked the Persians to fight in the narrow strait, where they were routed by Greek warships (triremes) that smashed and sunk them. Finally, Greeks ended the war by defeating the Persians at Plataea.