The Persian empire was a vast super-power in the Mediterranean and Asia. It started in Persia (modern day Iran) and conquered much of the land around it. Between the years c. 550–330 BC it ruled a large area of the eastern Mediterranean. It was a neighbour to the
Greek City states.
c. 550 BC – The Persian empire invaded the region called Ionia (modern day eastern Turkey). This area was home to several Greek city states. These cities were now under the
rule of Persia who put tyrants in charge of each city.
499 BC - The Ionian Greek city states were very unhappy about being ruled by Persia. The Persians did nothing to make them feel more content. So some of the cities revolted (an armed uprising) against the Persians, trying to take their cities back. This was known as
the Ionian Revolt.
The Ionian Greek Cities asked Athens for help to fight the Persians. The Athenians, who could see the threat of the Persian Empire, agreed to help fight the Persians by sending twenty triremes (Greek warships). The City of Eretria also agreed to help the Ionian city
states.
The Army of the Ionian city states was successful at first and set fire to the Persian Western Capital city of Sardis. Their victory was short lived though as the Persians sent a large army to up down the revolt. The Persian army wiped out the Ionian army and re-
took control of the Ionian city states.
The Persian Empire turned their attention to Greece recognising that the city of states could be a threat to their empire. They sent ambassadors to the Greek city states asking
them to surrender and become part of the Persian Empire. The Persian Empire was considered unbeatable, so many of the cities in Greece agreed to become part of it.
Sparta and Athena took a different approach to the Persian Ambassadors that arrived in their cities: they executed them.
490BC - Darius the First, king of Persia, decides to invade Greece and forcible make the Athenians and Spartans join the Persian empire. He sent a large invasion force and fleet to Greece. The force conquered and destroyed many cities as it island-hopped to mainland Greece.
After burning Eretria for its part in the Ionian Revolt, the Persian army sent by Darius sailed towards Athens and landed at a plain named Marathon which was only 25 miles
from Athens.
The Athens had no choice but to go and meet the Persian army. They sent a force of Athenian hoplites (warriors) as well as troops from other, nearby, cities (Plateau).
The Athenians knew that they were outnumbered by the Persian forces: the Athenians had around 10,000 soldiers and the Persians had roughly 25,000 soldiers. The Athenian therefore sent a message to Sparta asking for help. The Spartans told the Athenians that they could not fight at that point because they were in the middle of a religious festival of peace and they could not go to war until the new moon.
Without Spartan support, the Athenians decided they had to attack the Persian army at Marathon. The stakes were high: if the Athenians were defeated, the Persians would be
able to march into Athens unopposed and burn it to the ground.
The Athenians attacked while the Persians where still near their boats. Despite being outnumbered, the Athenian army defeated the larger Persian force. The battle was a
resounding victory for the Greeks: around 6,000 Persians died in the battle, whereas only 193 Athenians (and 7 Plateans) died. The remaining Persians fled back to their boats.
Although the Athenians were victorious, they had to march quickly back to Athens to prevent the remaining Persian forces, who were sailing by boat, getting to the city first and
razing it.
The Athenian army got to the city first and the Persians could see they had no hope of taking the city. This left them with one choice: retreat back to Persia. The Athenians had shown to the rest of Greece that the Persian empire could be defeated. Thus ended the first Persian war.
