After a series of political negotiations, it became clear that the Persians would not gain victory on land through diplomacy and the two opposing armies met at the Battle of Plataea in August 479 BCE. The 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 allied Greek fleet was commanded by the Spartan Eurybiades, a surprising choice considering it was Athens who was the great naval power and supplied by far the most ships. Written by Mark Cartwright, published on 05 May 2013 under the following license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. Here too were much of the evacuated populace of Athens and Attica. She was of Carian-Greek ethnicity by her father Lygdamis I, and half-Cretan by her mother. They held their ground against the Persians but were quickly defeated by the vast enemy army, and many (if not all; sources differ) were killed, including Leonidas. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. Cartwright, Mark. On the left flank of the Persians were the Carians and Dorians. Light, fast, and maneuverable, it was the principal naval vessel with which Persia, Phoenicia, and the Greek city-states vied for mastery of the seas from the Battle The Battle of Thermopylae’s political origins can be traced back to Xerxes’ predecessor, Darius I (the Great), who sent heralds to Greek cities in 491 bce in the hopes of persuading them to accept Persian authority. Ancient Greece was a large area in the northeast of the Mediterranean Sea, where people spoke the Greek language.It was much bigger than the nation of Greece we know today. Also, his list is for the Persian fleet which originally sailed to Greek waters and by the time of Salamis, many would have been left to guard ports and supply routes or have been lost in storms (especially at Magnesia) and in the Battle of Artemision a month earlier. The two other senior commanders were Themistocles of Athens and Adeimantus of Corinth. The actual details of the battle are sketchy and often contradictory between ancient sources. The Battle of Salamis was a naval battle between Greek and Persian forces in the Saronic Gulf, Greece in September 480 BCE. The vast Persian Empire stretched from the Danube to Egypt and from Ionia to Bactria, and Xerxes was able to draw on a huge reserve of resources to amass a huge invasion force. Prior to full engagement between the opposing fleets, there were two principal strategies employed by the more able commanders. Battle of Salamis. Herodotus in his Histories (440-430 BCE) compiles precise lists but these are widely thought to be exaggerated and unreliable. Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/Battle_of_Salamis/. Omissions? World History Encyclopedia. After three days resisting the much larger Persian army of Xerxes I, Greek forces were betrayed by Ephialtes and sent into retreat by their leader, Leonidas, who died during a … In 490 BCE Greek forces led by Athens met the Persians at the Battle of Marathon and defeated the invaders. The battle would take on mythical status amongst the Greeks, but in reality it was merely the opening overture of a long war with several other battles making up the principal acts. The Battle of Salamis: The Naval Encounter that Saved Greece -- and... Persian Fire: The First World Empire and the Battle for the West, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. Napoleon's confidence appeared well-founded when his soldiers captured Moscow. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. By the afternoon, Greek victory was assured and the remaining Persian ships retreated to Asia Minor. Both sides had very similar ships - the triremes (triērēis) - which were 40-50 ton wooden warships up to 40 m long. The Persian position was still strong despite the defeat - they still controlled much of Greece and their large land army was intact. For two days the Greeks defended against Persian attacks and suffered light losses as they imposed heavy casualties on the Persian army. In addition, there was very little space on board for provisions and no room to sleep so the crews had no choice but to land each night. Artemisia I of Caria (Ancient Greek: Ἀρτεμισία; fl. This offended the proud Greeks greatly; the Athenians went so far as to toss the Persian heralds into a pit, while the Spartans followed suit and tossed them into a well. Some 30 Greek poleis, however, were preparing to fight back and the Battle of Salamis would show Xerxes that Greece, or at least a large chunk of it, was far from being conquered. The Greeks held position, drawing the Persians into an ever-tighter confine. Despite the disparity in numbers, the Greeks were able to maintain their position. The Battle of Thermopylae also served as the inspiration for the film 300 (2006). While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. "Battle of Salamis." For only $5 per month you can become a member and support our mission to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. The Greek resistance tried to halt Persian progress on land at the narrow pass of Thermopylae and at sea nearby in the straits of Artemisium. With more space to manoeuvre, the Greek ships were able to pick off the closely packed Persian vessels which could not retreat because their lines were now several ships deep. When they arrived at the city of Athens, they found it deserted. The Athenian fleet, however, was waiting off the coast by the island of Salamis. The final stage of the battle was the transferral of the Greek hoplite force on Salamis over to the mainland which then made short work of the Persian land forces. She received her bachelor’s degree in philosophy and creative writing in 2020 at the University of Iowa. Indeed, proximity to the opposite mainland shore would have been avoided by the Greek ships due to Xerxes' positioning of a contingent of his archers there. On the western (right) wing the Phoenicians faced the Athenians and the Ionians against the Spartans. An alternative source - the writer of Greek tragedy Aeschylus - does seem to support Herodotus in his Persae (472 BCE) where he states that the Persian fleet had 1,207 ships compared to the Greek force of only 310. Battle of Salamis, 480 BCEAncient Warfare Magazine / Karwansaray Publishers (Copyright). The Persians advanced, becoming more closely packed as they aligned themselves with the enemy's narrower front. In summary, we can only say that the Persian fleet seems to have significantly outnumbered the Greek. However, as the majority of the Greek army retreated, Leonidas, his 300 bodyguards, some helots (people enslaved by the Spartans), and 1,100 Boeotians remained behind, supposedly because retreating would defy Spartan law and custom. Probably, the two fleets aligned along an oblique east-west axis with the Persians close to the mainland shore with both fleets having a friendly shore behind them. By the first years of the 5th century BCE, the Persian Achaemenid Empire, under the rule of Darius I (r. 522-486 BCE), was already expanding into mainland Europe and had subjugated Thrace and Macedonia. One such ship from Tenos informed the Greeks that the Persians were amassing in the straits, blocking in the Greek fleet. License. The people of Athens had fled. Overcoming superior numbers with daring tactics and sheer determination, the allied Greek forces won a freedom which would allow a never-before-seen period of artistic and cultural endeavour which would form the foundations of Western culture for millennia. From there, manoeuvres could be signalled to other ships in the fleet using flags and trumpets. In open water, the ships could be organised in a defensive circle or an arc (more practical with larger fleets) with prows pointing outwards (kyklos). World History Encyclopedia, 05 May 2013. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. His special interests include pottery, architecture, world mythology and discovering the ideas that all civilizations share in common. Each scenario is complete with everything needed to run the simulation except dice and rulers. Updates? Commanders led from the front and each would have been on his own ship at the heart of the battle. Ancient History Encyclopedia has a new name! Books Triremes had a weakness in that they could only operate effectively in relatively calm seas with waves less than 1 m high; otherwise, water would enter via the oar-ports and flood the ship. Artemisia, the tyrant of Halicarnassus, led the Dorian fleet of 30 ships and other known commanders included Prexaspes, Megabazus, and Achaimenes. Overlooking from his command post in the early morning, Xerxes would have seen not a fleet about to retreat but the Greeks positioned two-ships deep along a 3 km long curve, perhaps presenting a line of 130 ships against the Persian main front of 150 ships, three ships deep. "Battle of Salamis." Cybernis, the king of Xanthos, led the Lycian fleet of 50 ships. Battle of Thermopylae, (480 bce), battle in central Greece at the mountain pass of Thermopylae during the Persian Wars. The Battle on the plain of Marathon in September 490 BCE between... A hoplite (from ta hopla meaning tool or equipment) was the most... Themistocles (c. 524 - c. 460 BCE) was an Athenian statesman and... Fast, manoeuvrable, and with a bronze-sheathed ram on the prow... Cycladic states contribute to the victorious. Greek Trireme [Illustration]MatthiasKabel & Sting (GNU FDL). Many Greek city-states either joined Xerxes or remained neutral, while Athens and Sparta led the resistance with a number of other city-states behind them. The Persians generally carried more - 14 combatants and 30 Medes armed with bow, spear, and sword. We have also been recommended for educational use by the following publications: Ancient History Encyclopedia Foundation is a non-profit organization registered in Canada. Today the Battle of Thermopylae is celebrated as an example of heroic persistence against seemingly impossible odds. He is most well known for bravely leading a small force of Greeks, including the famous 300 Spartans, along with a few hundred Thespians and Thebans against the much larger Persian army of Xerxes, at the pass of Thermopylae in 480 B.C. …480, the Greek stand at Thermopylae in August of 480 came to naught, and the Persian land forces marched on Athens, taking and burning the Acropolis. Military.com provides millions of active military, retired and veterans with benefits information including health, education, military discounts, jobs and more. Xerxes led a vast army overland from the Dardanelles, accompanied by a substantial fleet moving along the coast. Herodotus' figures are once again inconsistent, his grand total of 380 triremes making up the Greek fleet is 15 more than the sum of his individual state contributions: The figures for some states are suspiciously similar to those given before the Battle of Artemision, implausibly suggesting either they suffered next to no losses in that conflict or a swift replacement of vessels. And in 490 and 480 B.C, the small armies and navies of Greece defeated the huge invading forces of the Persian Empire at the battles of Marathon and Salamis… The Greeks, fielding the largest hoplite army ever seen, won the battle and finally ended Xerxes' ambitions in Greece. World History Encyclopedia is a non-profit organization. The Persian victory at Thermopylae allowed for Xerxes’ passage into southern Greece, which expanded the Persian empire even further. In effect, tactics and strategy were decided by a council of 17 commanders from each of the contributing contingents. She made her mark on history in the Battle of Salamis, where the fleet she commanded was deemed the best against the Greeks. Commanders led from the front & each would have been on his own ship at the heart of the battle. 480 BC) was a queen of the ancient Greek city-state of Halicarnassus and of the nearby islands of Kos, Nisyros and Kalymnos, within the Achaemenid satrapy of Caria, in about 480 BC. Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University and Michigan State University and University of Missouri. The Greeks won at Salamis, one of the greatest and most significant military victories in antiquity. Greece then, lay open to the invaders and Persian forces rampaged through the Greek poleis or city-states, sacking even Athens itself. This constricted the battlefield and prevented the Persians from utilizing their vast numbers. World History Encyclopedia. The Battle of Thermopylae was fought in central Greece at the mountain pass of Thermopylae in 480 BCE during the Persian Wars. La bataille des Thermopyles, l'un des plus célèbres faits d'armes de l'histoire antique et des guerres médiques, oppose une alliance des cités grecques à l'Empire achéménide en août ou septembre 480 av. After three days of holding their own against the Persian king Xerxes I and his vast southward-advancing army, the Greeks were betrayed, and the Persians were able to outflank them. Ancient History Encyclopedia Limited is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. Mark is a history writer based in Italy. Only when the Greeks were betrayed did the battle take a detrimental turn for them. Technically, the Persians, and especially the Phoenicians, were better seamen, but as the fleet was drawn from all parts of the Empire, the motivation and communication levels were perhaps less than their opponents who all spoke the same language and who were fighting not only for their own survival but that of their families and their way of life. In 1955 a statue of Leonidas was erected by King Paul of Greece in commemoration of his and his troops’ bravery. Once again the cryptic oracle of Apollo at Delphi had been proved right: 'only a wooden wall will keep you safe'. Ephialtes, a Greek citizen desiring reward, informed Xerxes of a path that went around Thermopylae, thus rendering the Greeks’ line useless in preventing forward advancement of the Persian army. But the Persian fleet lost the Battle of Salamis, and the impetus of the invasion was blunted. Last modified May 05, 2013. Web. Also, they had to stay close to shore as each night they needed to be beached if the light wood was not to become water-logged, significantly reducing the speed performance of the vessel. 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. Greek historian Herodotus wrote … The objective was to puncture a hole in the enemy vessel or break a sufficient number of their oars to disable the ship. Cite This Work Grab a copy of our NEW encyclopedia for Kids! As a defence against these two tactics, an able commander would ensure one of his flanks was closed off by shallows or coastline and ensure his crews were sufficiently drilled to maintain close order. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. They were sure of victory. Thank you! Our latest articles delivered to your inbox, once a week: Our mission is to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. Light, streamlined, and manoeuvrable, they were powered in battle by 170 oarsmen split in three ranks down each side of the ship. After reaching the other side, the Persians attacked and destroyed a portion of the Greek army. The Spartan general Leonidas dispatched most of the Greeks south to safety but fought to the death…. Or Themistocles, who, in 480 B.C., tattled to the Persian emperor Xerxes about his fellow Greeks’ position in the Bay of Salamis to force the bickering Greeks into battle with the Persians. With more Persian ships pressing in from the rear and the Corinthians joining from the side, there must have been a chaos of broken ships and drowning men - particularly amongst the Persians who had no shore to retreat to and most probably could not swim. Greek tactics & strategy were decided by a council of 17 commanders from each of the contributing contingents. Following the defeat, Xerxes returned home to his palace at Susa and left the gifted general Mardonius in charge of the invasion. The Greeks had recently lost the Battle of Thermopylae and drawn the naval Battle at Artemision, both in August 480 BCE, as King Xerxes I (r. 486-465 BCE) and his Persian army went on the rampage. Herodotus & John M. Marincola & Aubrey de Sélincourt. The Greek forces, mostly Spartan, were led by Leonidas. Behind the main Greek line, the Aegina contingent and some of the Athenian ships waited in reserve. Read about Greek history and politics from the Archaic period through the Hellenistic period. We are now World History Encyclopedia to better reflect the breadth of our non-profit organization's mission. Learn More. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. The Persians, meanwhile, were stationed at the Phaleron Bay, less than 10 km away across the Saronic Gulf and close to the captured Piraeus. At the indecisive naval battle of Artemision (also in August 480 BCE), the Greeks held off the superior numbers of the Persian fleet but were obliged to regroup at Salamis. Ariabignes, the son of Darius, commanded the Ionian, Carian, Achaimene, and Egyptian fleets. Xerxes took advantage of this betrayal and sent part of his army along this path, led by Ephialtes himself. However, on the second night a Greek traitor guided the best Persian troops around the pass behind the Greek army. https://www.ancient.eu/Battle_of_Salamis/. The simulations make use of historical miniatures (paper or plastic toy soldiers), maps and counters, and matrix arguments. It also tested the Greek strategy of using confined space to neutralise Persian numbers, a strategy that later proved devastatingly effective when the Greeks destroyed the Persian fleet in the narrow strait of Salamis just a month or so later. Ships began to ram each other, and in the tight space, they would have struggled to disengage. Xerxes, on the other hand, had anywhere from 70,000 to 300,000. According to Diodorus Siculus, Xerxes sent his Egyptian fleet to seal off the straits between Salamis and Megara and engage any Greek ships breaking off from the main fleet. Accounting for losses incurred in the manner described above it is estimated that perhaps around 500 triremes faced the Greeks at Salamis but there is no scholarly consensus on even an approximate figure. Both were designed to get one's ship in a position to ram the weakest point of the enemy - the side or stern quarter. The Greeks had recently lost the Battle of Thermopylae and drawn the naval Battle at Artemision, both in August 480 BCE, as King Xerxes I (r. 486-465 BCE) and his Persian army went on the rampage. Ancient Warfare Magazine / Karwansaray Publishers (Copyright). Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The Corinthians were stationed to the west of the battle lines protecting the passage to Eleusis whilst the pro-Persian Cyprians, Cilicians, and Hellespontines held back to the south, guarding the exit to Piraeus. The simulations are designed for students in grades 6 - 8. Please support World History Encyclopedia Foundation. Cartwright, M. (2013, May 05). Xerxes, who had by then been away…, …Persians attacked the Greeks at Thermopylae for two days but suffered heavy losses. Sending the main army in retreat, Leonidas and a small contingent remained behind to resist the advance and were defeated. Battle of Salamis The Persian army continued to march on Greece. There would also have been many smaller ships such as penteconters (50 oars) and triaconters (30 oars) but Herodotus' figure of 3000 seems wildly exaggerated. Soon after the battle, the Greeks built a stone lion in honour of those who had died and specifically for the fallen king Leonidas. during the Persian Wars. But Thermopylae did – crucially – prove that the Persian war machine could be stopped. He holds an MA in Political Philosophy and is the Publishing Director at AHE. Salamis 480 BC: The naval campaign that saved Greece. Ancient Greece. The Greek army was led by Leonidas, who was estimated to have had around 7,000 men. Dept. The Spartan victory at the Battle of Thermopylae opened the door for American staples, like Constitution, Chick-fil-a, and capitalism The Spartan victory at the Battle of Thermopylae opened the door for American staples, like Constitution, Chick-fil-a, and capitalism This forced Leonidas to call a war council, at which it was decided that retreating was the best option. Prior to the battle the Greek ships were beached at several bays on the island of Salamis from Cynosoura to Paloukia. Corrections? His forces quickly seized northern Greece and began moving south. There is also the possibility that Themistocles had sent messages to Xerxes intimating the fragile Greek alliance was breaking up and the fleet was about to retreat. As at Artemision, the wooden ships of the combined Greek fleet had, for a second time, rebuffed the Persian advance. Aeschylus states a total figure of 310 and Thucydides 400. Before invading, Xerxes implored the Spartan king Leonidas to surrender his arms. https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Thermopylae-Greek-history-480-BC, The History Files - The Battle of Thermopylae, HistoryNet - Greco-Persian Wars: Battle of Thermopylae. Themistocles, perhaps sending messages to the pro-Persian Greek state fleets, had hoped for more such defections but no others occurred. The next objective was to quell once and for all the collection of potentially troublesome rebel states on the western border of the empire. military king of the Greek city-state of Sparta. However, it is Themistocles, the brilliant naval commander, drawing on his 20-year experience and flush from the success of Artemision against far superior numbers, who is widely credited with deciding to hold position at Salamis instead of retreating to the isthmus of Corinth and masterminding the Greek victory. World History Encyclopedia. Cartwright, Mark. Nevertheless, below are his figures for triremes - warships with three banks of oars (note the contributions from conquered or pro-Persian Greek cities): Sign up for our free weekly email newsletter! Kathleen Lohnes was an editorial intern at Encyclopaedia Britannica in 2017 and 2018. The Battle of Salamis was a naval battle between Greek and Persian forces in the Saronic Gulf, Greece in September 480 BCE. Then the armed soldiers on board would have come into their own with hoplites and archers fighting on the decks much as in a land battle. Trireme, oar-powered warship that reached its highest point of development in the eastern Mediterranean during the 5th century bce. 10 Apr 2021. In 480 bce Xerxes invaded Greece as a continuation of Darius’s original plan. News of this defeat reached the troops at Artemisium, and Greek forces there retreated as well. Ancient Greece, the birthplace of democracy, was the source of some of the greatest literature, architecture, science and philosophy in Western … Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. The Greek naval commander Themistocles was able to turn the tides of war at the battle of Salamis in 480 B.C. Ancient Naval BattleThe Creative Assembly (Copyright). of History, US Military Academy (CC BY-SA). The Persians had moved into position overnight, hoping to surprise the enemy, but this strategy was unlikely to be successful considering the short distances involved and the noise made by the rowers. Xerxes intended to do just that and thus moved toward Thermopylae. The exact number of ships in the Persian fleet is not known. It was the civilization of Greece, from the archaic period of the 8th/6th centuries BC to 146 BC. The Greeks invented democracy, started the Olympics, built the foundations of Western arts and culture, and loved a good party. These extra troops came into their own when at close quarters with the enemy and in the case of boarding an enemy vessel. Related Content Their strategy involved holding a line only a few dozen yards long between a steep hillside and the sea. Able to rapidly accelerate, break, zigzag, and turn 360 degrees in just two ships' lengths, good seamanship could place the vessel to best advantage and employ the principal strategy of naval warfare at that time which was to ram the enemy, making full use of the bronze ram fitted to the prow of the vessel. In 486 BCE Xerxes became king, and he invaded first the Cyclades and then the Greek mainland after victory at Thermopylae in August 480 BCE against a token Greek force. To avoid damaging one's own oars, crews were drilled to withdraw them in a matter of seconds (usually on only one side of the ship whilst the other side maintained the momentum of the vessel). Nevertheless, presenting the most commonly agreed upon elements, the first action of the battle was the defection of two Ionian ships to the allied Greek fleet. The much larger Persian fleet attacked the small Athenian ships. Triremes also carried a small complement of soldiers, at least ten hoplites and four archers. However, once the battle got fully underway, naval conflicts became a case of a single ship against a single opponent rather than precisely coordinated manoeuvres. Some Rights Reserved (2009-2021) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. The first was sailing around the enemy line (periplous) and the second was smashing through gaps in the enemy line and attacking from their rear flank (diekplous). 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