Battle of ThermopylaeThe Battle of Thermopylae () was fought in 480 BC at Thermopylae between the Achaemenid Persian Empire under Xerxes and an alliance of Greek city-states led by Sparta under Leonidas I. Lasting over the course of three days, it was one of the most prominent battles of both the second Persian invasion of Greece and the wider Greco-Persian Wars. The engagement occurred simultaneously with the naval Battle of Artemisium: between July and September during 480 BC.
Second Persian invasion of GreeceThe second Persian invasion of Greece (480–479 BC) occurred during the Greco-Persian Wars, as King Xerxes I of Persia sought to conquer all of Greece. The invasion was a direct, if delayed, response to the defeat of the first Persian invasion of Greece (492–490 BC) at the Battle of Marathon, which ended Darius I's attempts to subjugate Greece. After Darius's death, his son Xerxes spent several years planning for the second invasion, mustering an enormous army and navy.
Battle of MarathonBelligerentsAthensPlataeaAchaemenid EmpireCommanders and leadersMiltiadesCallimachus†AristidesXanthippusThemistoclesStesilaus †ArimnestusCynaegirus†DatisArtaphernesHippiasStrength 10,000–11,000 menModern estimates:25,000 infantry1,000 cavalry (unengaged)>100,000 armed oarsmen and sailors (reserve)600 triremes>50 horse-carriers>200 supply shipsCasualties and lossesHerodotus: 192 killed AtheniansHerodotus: 6,400 dead 7 ships sunk6,400 Achaemenid troops deadOther estimates:1,000–2,000 killedThe Battle of Marathon took place in 490 BC during the first Persian invasion of Greece.
EuboeaEuboea, also known as Evia, is the second-largest Greek island in area and population, after Crete, and the sixth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is separated from Boeotia in mainland Greece by the narrow Euripus Strait (only 40 m (130 ft) at its narrowest point), the North Euboean Gulf, and the South Euboean Gulf. In general outline it is a long and narrow island; it is about 180 km (110 mi) long, and varies in breadth from 50 km (31 mi) to 6 km (3.7 mi).
Xerxes IKing of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire from 486 to 465 BCXerxes (Xašayaruša/Ḫašayaruša)in hieroglyphsEra: Late Period(664–332 BC)Xerxes I ( ; from Old IranianXšayār̥šā, commonly known as Xerxes the Great; c. 518 BC – 465 BC) was a Persian ruler who reigned as the fourth King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, reigning from 486 BC until his assassination in 465 BC. He was the son of Darius the Great and Atossa.
First Persian invasion of GreeceThe first Persian invasion of Greece took place from 492 BC to 490 BC, as part of the Greco-Persian Wars. It ended with a decisive Athenian-led victory over the Achaemenid Empire during the Battle of Marathon. Consisting of two distinct campaigns, the invasion of the independent Greek city-states was ordered by the Persian king Darius the Great, who sought to punish Athens and Eretria after they had supported the earlier Ionian Revolt.
Ancient GreeceGreek civilization from 1200 BC to 600 ADThe Parthenon, a temple of Athena on the Acropolis in Athens.Ancient Greece (Ancient Greek: Ἑλλάς, romanized: Hellás) was an ancient civilization existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity (c. 600 AD), comprising a loose collection of culturally and linguistically related city-states and regions, primarily centered in the northeastern area of the .
Ancient Corinth37°54′19″N22°52′49″E / 37.9053455°N 22.8801924°E / 37.9053455; 22.8801924Corinth ( ; Ancient Greek: ΚόρινθοςKórinthos; Doric Greek: ϘόρινθοςQórinthos; Latin: Corinthus) was a city-state (polis) on the Isthmus of Corinth, the narrow stretch of land that joins the Peloponnese peninsula to mainland Greece, roughly halfway between Athens and Sparta.
SpartaCity-state in ancient GreeceSparta was a prominent ancient Greekpolis in Laconia. In classical antiquity, the state was known as Lacedaemon (Λακεδαίμων, Lakedaímōn), while Sparta referred to its capital, a group of villages in the valley of the Evrotas River in Laconia, in southeastern Peloponnese. During the 7th century BC, it rose to become the most prominent land military power in the Greek world, a status it retained until its defeat at Leuctra in 371 BC.
History of AthensAthens is one of the oldest named cities in the world, having been continuously inhabited for perhaps 5,000 years. Situated in southern Europe, Athens became the leading city of ancient Greece in the first millennium BC, and its cultural achievements during the 5th century BC laid the foundations of Western civilization. The earliest evidence for human habitation in Athens dates back to the Neolithic period. The Acropolis served as a fortified center during the Mycenaean era.
Achaemenid EmpireThe Achaemenid Empire (, ə-KEE-mə-nid; Old Persian: 𐎧𐏁𐏂, Xšāça, lit. 'The Empire' or 'The Kingdom') was an ancient Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great of the Achaemenid dynasty in 550 BC. At peak, its territorial extent was roughly 5.5 million square kilometres (2.1 million square miles), making it the largest empire of its time.
City-stateSovereign state consisting primarily of a city and its territory Monaco is a city state located on the Mediterranean and the second smallest country in the world (after the Vatican, another city state) A city-state is an independent city that encompasses the totality of its sovereign territory. This concept stands in contrast to that of a regular state or country, which typically encompasses a capital city and additional urban centers, in addition to the countryside.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.