By 500 B.C.E.,The Persian Empire had conquered all of the Fertile Crescent and Asia Minor. Multiple Ionian Greek city states decided to revolt against the persian empire in 499 BCE The Ionian Greeks from the mainland. Athens was one of the few who decided to help the Ionians. Both navys fought leading to the defeat of the persians the persian leader Darious I was furious that the athenians helped the ionians and declared war on athens in 492 BCE
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CHARGE, ATACK!
In490 B.C.E., Darius sent arepresentative to several Greek city-states with themessage that all Greeks should send him “earth and water” the Spartans threwthe representative in a ditch,saying Darius could haveboth “earth and water” at the same time. Darius responded bysending his huge navy, carrying the massive Persian army,across the Aegean to have his troops start the war. Theydestroyed the Persians by using the fighting formation called Phalanx. Theremaining Persian force attempted to leave Marathon and make their way towardAthens in hopes the city would surrender without its hoplites to protect it.popular story tells us that, luckily for the Athenians, they had an incredible runnername Pheidippides. He ran 26miles to warn the citizens and save them.
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AfterDarius I died the next Persian king, Xerxes, swore to takerevenge on all of Greece, especially theAthenians. He spent 10 years planning his revenge. For one of the fewtimes in Greek history, Athens and Sparta united to defend themselvesagainst the Persians. The Spartan king, Leonidas, leda small army of just 300 Spartans warriorsto defend the pass at Thermopylae.Thermopylae was the entrance from Macedonia in the northto Greece. he Persians slaughtered Leonidasand every one of his men. Not surprisingly, the Spartans willingly sacrificed themselves for thegood of Greece. Meanwhile, the Athenian general Themistoclesordered the evacuation of all women and children in Athens while theAthenian men went to their warships. The Athenians decided to stake their survival on their powerfulnavy. After the Persians defeated Leonidas, Xerxes and his armyswept into Greece and headed straight for Athens. When they found thecity abandoned, they burned Athens to the ground. Xerxes then set his mind on destroying theAthenian navy and ending the war in victory.