HI123 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Thespiae, Ptolemy V Epiphanes, Hellenic Navy
•
499 BC: Persian Empire had conquered modern Turkey (Asia Minor) and
part of Greece
○
Revolted against the Persians, and asked other Greeks for help
•
494 - Greek revolted in Asia Minor
•
Darias (Persian King) wanted to conquer Greece
•
Sent armies to take out small city states
•
Sent a fleet out to the Bay of Marathon
•
Athenians decided to fight back and ask Sparta for help
○
They're celebrating a religious festival so they can't
•
When the Athenians saw the Persians loading cavalry back onto their
ships (after stalemate) and they deployed in phalanx and fought
•
Athenians ran at them to avoid getting hit by the arrows
•
Athenians overran the Persians- 6300 Persians died, 192 Athenians
•
Was a minor setback for the Persians, they decided to mobilize the
entire. Imperial army and navy for the total conquest of Greece
Greco-Persian Wars
•
Sent military expeditions to conquer land by northern Greece
•
Sends navel expedition with an army to punish the Greeks who helped
the rebels (Athens)
○
Messenger Thydepedes to ask Sparta for help
•
Athenians met Persians at Marathon
•
Darius is delayed by Egyptian revolt, and dies before he can invade
○
His son Xerxes inherited the plans and prepares for the conquest of
Greek
•
Assembled the imperial army, drawing on contingent from every
province of the Persian Empire
•
Herodutus says that the army was 1.2 million men. Modern historians
estimate its max strength at 250,000 men
•
Army marched and the imperial navy made up of squadrons drawn from
the Phoenicians, Egyptians, and Ionian Greeks, totalling 1,207 warships
• 481 Xerxes is coming
• Xerxes built 2 pontune bridges, a storm knocked them out, they built 2
more
• Alliance is created by the Greeks who wanted to resist the Persians
(mainly the south)
• Sparta would lead the Greek allies on land, 10,000 hoplites would form
the core of the defence, Sparta's Kings would be the supreme
commanders of allied forces
• Athenians made their major effort at sea
• The statesman and soldier Themistocles convinced the Athenians to use a
rich silver strike from the city's mines at Laurium to build a fleet
○Leading up to the 2nd Persian invasion, Athenians built 300
triremes
• 481 heated debate about where to meet the Persians
○Pass of Thermopylae 'hot gates' 3 gates
• Choose for 2 reasons
1. Narrow pass
§Would dull the Persian #'s terrain of the path made the
Persian cavalry ineffective
2. Perfectly positioned
§To support a Greek fleet at Artemsium
• Was a land and sea battle
• When Persian invasion comes, Sparta was celebrating the religious
festivals of the Camdeia and Olympia
○Can't send full army. Sends one king (Leonidas) and 300 hoplites
• Greeks send a holding force until entire Greek army can come
• Herodidus states Leonidas knew he would die because
Prophecy
§From the oracle of Delphai- Sparta will fall unless a king is
sacrificed
1.
2. The 300
§Leonidas chooses his 300 carefully, only older men who had
sons
• Greek navy would go to Artemisium to await the arrival of the Persian
fleet
• Full citizen army of Mycenae (80), Thespiae (700), Thebes (400) doesn't
send many because they might join the Persians
Persians Vs Greeks
Monday, July 2, 2018
10:27 AM
Document Summary
10:27 am: 499 bc: persian empire had conquered modern turkey (asia minor) and part of greece. Imperial army and navy for the total conquest of greece. Greco-persian wars: sent military expeditions to conquer land by northern greece, sends navel expedition with an army to punish the greeks who helped the rebels (athens) Messenger thydepedes to ask sparta for help: athenians met persians at marathon, darius is delayed by egyptian revolt, and dies before he can invade. His son xerxes inherited the plans and prepares for the conquest of. Greek: assembled the imperial army, drawing on contingent from every province of the persian empire, herodutus says that the army was 1. 2 million men. Leading up to the 2nd persian invasion, athenians built 300 triremes: 481 heated debate about where to meet the persians. Pass of thermopylae "hot gates" 3 gates: choose for 2 reasons, narrow pass. Would dull the persian #"s terrain of the path made the.
