Fighting the Persian Wars

Objectives I will be able to ouline the founding, explansion, and political organization of the Persian Empire I will be able to explain the causes of the Persian wars. I will be able to understand the roles of Athens and Sparta in the Persian wars. I will be able to describe the results of the Persian wars.

Bellringer “ The Lions Versus the Wild cats On your paper please create the chart below. Follow along with the paragraph as your teacher plays the CD, and then complete the chart. Team Lions Wildcats Strengths Weaknesses

Graphic Organizer What do you see? What are the occupations of the two figures? From what country or countries do you think each soldiers is from? Why do you think the soldier on the left is larger than the soldier on the right?

Introduction Earlier in the unit you learned about two very different city-states, Athens and Sparta. Some times their differences led these city-states to distrust each other. But between 499 and 479 B.C.E., they had a common enemy – the Persian Empire. At the time, Persia was the largest empire the world had ever seen. Its powerful kings ruled over land in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. During the 400s B.C.E., the Persians invaded Greece, and the Persian wars began. To fight the Persians, the Greek city-state eventually banded together as allies. Allies are states that agree to help each other against a common enemy. Throughout history, soldiers have written home before battle. We can imagine the kind of letter Athenian might have written to his family. “The Persians are fierce fighters. But I will stand shoulder to shoulder with the brave men of Greece – Spartans as well as fellow Athenians – and fight to the death, if that is what it takes to stop these murderous invaders.” The tiny Greek city-states had much less land and far fewer people that Persia. How could they possibly turn back the powerful invaders? In this lesson you will learn about important battles during the Persian wars and discover who won them.

Visual Discovery Classroom arrangement (pods of 4 so they can see the board)

The Ionian Revolt Darius at a War Council Step 1: This picture appears on a vase and shows Darius at a council of war. Please complete step 1 on the first page of your Reading Notes

The Ionian Revolt Step 1 Continued: What details did you label on the drawing? Who do you think is sitting in the center of the image? Who do you think is standing in front of the seated figure? What might this figure be saying? What might the man behind the seated figure represent? What are the figures at the bottom of the image holding? What do you think they will do with the objects they are holding?

The Ionian Revolt Step 2: Complete step 2 on your Reading Notes. Be sure to support your inferences about what is happening with details from the picture. Step 3: Read Section 28.2 and complete steps 3 and 4 on your Reading Notes (check to see if your guesses are correct by reading the section)

28.2 The Persian Empire and the Ionian Revolt The Persians started out as a small tribe in present-day Iran. They built a large empire by conquering their neighbors. Persian archers won many battles by unleashing a storm of arrows before their enemies were close enough to use their lances, or spears. At it height, the Persian Empire was the largest empire the world had ever known. It was ruled by powerful kings who conquered more of the Fertile Crescent, Egypt, and parts of India and Europe. To rule such a large area, King Darius, one of the greatest of the Persian kings, divided the empire into 20 provinces know as Satrapies. He established at tax-collection system and appointed officials to rule local areas. But he allowed conquered people to keep their own customs and religions. The Ionian Revolt, which began in 499 B.C.E., marked the beginning of the Greek – Persian wars. In 546 B.C.E., the Persians had conquered the wealthy Greek settlements in Ionia, in Asia Minor. The Persians took the Ionians’ farmland and harbors. They forced the Ionians to pay tributes, or the regular payments of goods. The Ionians also had to serve in the Persian army. The Ionians Knew they could not defeat the Persians by themselves, so they asked mainland Greece for help, Athens sent soldiers and small fleet of ships. Unfortunately for the Ionians, the Athenians went home after their initial success, leaving the small Ionian army to fight alone. In 493 B.C.E., the Persian army defeated the Ionians. To punish the Ionians for rebelling, the Persians destroyed the city of Miletus. They may have sold some of its people into slavery.

The Ionian Revolt Step 4: Share which guesses are accurate. King Darius is seated at the center of the image. He is seeking advice from one of his governors about the advisability of attacking Greece. Behind him is a Persian soldier who will have to fight in the war. The figures at the bottom represent conquered areas that had to pay tribute to Darius. Ionia, one of these conquered areas, resented paying money and rebelled. Because some Greek city-states helped Ionia, Darius decided to declare war on the Greek city-states after he crushed the Ionian Revolt.

Project Transparency 28B: Marathon. The Battle of Marathon Project Transparency 28B: Marathon. Step 1: This image shows the first battle of the Persian wars, at Marathon. Please complete step 1 of your Reading Notes

The Battle of Marathon Step 1 Continued: What details did you label? What is different about the location of this battle? Which soldiers are Persian? Which are Greek? Based on facial expressions and body language, which group appears to be winning the battle?

The Battle Of Marathon Step 2: Complete step 2 on your Reading Notes. Be sure to support your inferences about what is happening with details from the picture. Step 3: Read Section 28.3 and complete steps 3 and 4 on your Reading Notes (check to see if your guesses are correct by reading the section)

28.3 The Battle of Marathon: A Stunning Victory After the Ionian Revolt, King Darius decided to conquer the city-states of mainland Greece. He sent messengers to ask for presents of Greek earth and water. The presents would be a sign that the Greeks agreed to accept Persian rule. But the Greeks refused to hand over the tribute. Instead, they threw the messengers into pits and wells. Legend has it that they shouted, “If you want Greek earth and water, help yourselves!” Darius was furious. In 490 B.C.E., he sent a large army of foot soldiers and cavalry across the Aegean Sea by boat to Greece. The army assembled on the plain of Marathon. (See the map on page 277.) A brilliant general named Miltiades convinced the other Greek commanders to fight the Persians at Marathon. Desperate for help, the Athenians sent a runner named Pheidippides to Sparta. Pheidippides ran for two days and two nights. When he arrived, he found the Spartans celebrating a religious festival. They told him that they could not leave Sparta until the next full moon. The Athenians and their allies had to face the Persians alone. Miltiades stretched his men across a narrow valley. For several days, both sides hesitated to attack. Finally, Miltiades decided to attack. He ordered the center portion of his army to advance. When the Persians came forward to meet them, he then ordered the left and right sides of hi9s army to sweep down and attach the Persians from the sides as well. Soon the Persian soldiers were running for their ships. Then the Greeks marched back to Athens in time to defend the city against the Persian cavalry. The Greeks had won a stunning victory. But their fight with the Persians was only beginning.

The Battle of Marathon Step 4: Share which guesses are accurate. The Greeks are in red and the Persians are in blue. One of the warships that carried the Persians to Greece is shown at the left, and the battlefield is visible at the right. The Greeks, although outnumbered, were able to drive the Persians back to their boats.

The Persian Empire and Greece Project Transparency 28F The Persian Empire and Greece, About 490-479 B.C.E.

The Battle of Thermopylae Project Transparency 28 C: Thermopylae Step 1: This image shows the Battle of Thermopylae. Please complete step 1 of your Reading Notes

The Battle of Thermopylae Step 1 Continued: What details did you label? Which soldiers are Persian? Which are Greek? What kinds of weapons are the soldiers using? Why would it be difficult to fight in this location? Based on facial expressions and body language, which group appears to be winning?

The Battle Of Thermopylae Step 2: Complete step 2 on your Reading Notes. Be sure to support your inferences about what is happening with details from the picture. Step 3: Read Section 28.4 and complete steps 3 and 4 on your Reading Notes (check to see if your guesses are correct by reading the section)

28.4 The Battle of Thermopylae: The Bravery of the 300 After King Darius died, his son, King Xerxes, organized another attack on Greece. Xerxes put together a huge army of more than 180,000 soldiers. To get his army to Greece, Xerxes chose to cross the Hellespont, a narrow sea channel between Europe and Asia. There he made two bridges by roping hundreds of boats together, with wooden boards across their bows. Then he walked his army across the channel into Europe. In 480 B.C.E., Xerxes marched southward from the Hellespont. Several Greek city- states were overwhelmed. Athens and Sparta decided to work together to fight the enemy. The Athenian navy would try to stop the Persian navy. Meanwhile, the Spartan king, Leonidas, would try to stop the Persian army. The Spartans chose to make their stand at a place called Thermopylae, to go through a narrow pass between the mountains and the sea. Leonidas had only 6,000 to 7,000 soldiers to stop 180,000 Persians. Still, when the Persian tried to get through the pass, the Greeks drove them back. Then a Greek traitor offered to show the Persians a secret path through the mountains. The path would allow them to attack the Greeks from the front and the rear at the same time. Leonidas knew that he could only delay the Persians. To keep his army from being destroyed, he ordered most of his troops to escape. With a much smaller army, including 300 Spartans, he prepared to fight. The Spartans were obedient to the end. Legend says they fought until their weapons broke. Then they fought with their hands. In the end, all 300 were killed. But the Greeks would never forget their bravery.

The Battle of Thermopylae Step 4: Share which guesses are accurate. The Persians are in the foreground and the Greeks are in the background. The narrow pass made it difficult for the larger Persian army to overwhelm the Greeks early in the battle.

The Persian Empire and Greece Project Transparency 28F The Persian Empire and Greece, About 490-479 B.C.E.

Project Transparency 28 D: Salamis The Battle of Salamis Project Transparency 28 D: Salamis Step 1: This image shows the Battle of Salamis. Please complete step 1 of your Reading Notes

The Battle of Salamis Step 1 Continued: What details did you label? Where is this battle being fought? How would fighting at sea be different from fighting on land? What methods are the Greeks using to destroy the Persian ships?

The Battle Of Salamis Step 2: Complete step 2 on your Reading Notes. Be sure to support your inferences about what is happening with details from the picture. Step 3: Read Section 28.5 and complete steps 3 and 4 on your Reading Notes (check to see if your guesses are correct by reading the section)

28.5 The Battle of Salamis: The Navy to the Rescue When news of the slaughter at Thermopylae reached Athens, its citizens panicked. They boarded ships and sailed for nearby islands. They left in such a hurry that they had to leave their pets behind. Legend has it that one loyal dog swam alongside a ship, following its master all the way to shore, where it died. Only a small army was left to defend the city. Within two weeks, Xerxes had burned Athens to the ground. An Athenian navy leader, Themistocles, though he knew a way to defeat the Persians. He wanted to fight their navy in the narrow channels between the islands and the mainland. The Persians would find it hard to move their ships around attack the Greek navy. For his plan to work, Themistocles had to get the Persian ships into a channel near a place called Salamis. So he set a trap. He sent a loyal slave to Xerxes’ camp with a message. The message said that Themistocles wanted to change sides and join the Persians. If Xerxes attacked now, it said, half the Greek sailors would surrender. Xerxes fell for the trick. He ordered his ships to enter the narrow waterway between Salamis and the mainland to attack. As the Persians approached, the Greek ships seemed to retreat. But this was just another trick to draw the Persians farther into the channel. Soon the Greeks had them surrounded. The Greek ships had wooden rams at the front. They rammed into the Persian boats, crushing their hulls and sending 300 of the ships to the bottom of the sea. The Greeks lost only 40 ships. Once again, the Greeks had beaten the mighty Persian Empire.

The Battle of Salamis Step 4: Share which guesses are accurate. The Greek warships are destroying the Persian warships at close range. The Greeks tricked the Persians into fighting in a narrow channel, in which the larger Persian ships would find it difficult to maneuver.

The Persian Empire and Greece Project Transparency 28F The Persian Empire and Greece, About 490-479 B.C.E.

Project Transparency 28 E: Plataea The Battle of Plataea Project Transparency 28 E: Plataea Step 1: This image shows the Battle of Plataea. Please complete step 1 of your Reading Notes

The Battle of Plataea Step 1 Continued: What details did you label? Where is the battle being fought? Which soldiers are Greek? Which are Persian? What weapons are the soldiers using? What weapons are most effective in this type of battle?

The Battle Of Plataea Step 2: Complete step 2 on your Reading Notes. Be sure to support your inferences about what is happening with details from the picture. Step 3: Read Section 28.6 and 28.7 and complete steps 3 and 4 on your Reading Notes (check to see if your guesses are correct by reading the section)

28.6 The Battle of Plataea: The End of the Persian Wars After the defeat at Salamis, Xerxes fled with some of his soldiers. He was afraid the Greeks would get to the Hellespont first and destroy the bridges he had built. As it turned out, the bridges had already been wrecked by a fierce storm. Xerxes had to ferry his men across the water by boat. Xerxes left the rest of his army in Greece with orders to attack again in the spring. When spring arrived, the Persians approached Athens once more. The Spartans feared that the Athenians, with their city destroyed, would agree to make peace with Persia. But the Athenians proudly declared their “common brotherhood with the Greeks.” They would fight. The decisive battle took place outside the town of Plataea in 479 B.C.E. Led by the Spartans, a force of 80,000 Greek troops destroyed the Persian army. The threat from the Persian Empire was finally over. This important victory preserved the Greeks’ independence and kept Persia from conquering all of Europe. The Greeks paid a high price for their victory. Thousands of Greeks were dead, and the city of Athens was in ruins. But the Athenians would soon rebuild their city and raise it to even grater glory. Chapter Summary: In this lesson, you learned how Athens and Sparta joined forces to defeat the Persian Empire. The Persian wars began with the Ionian Revolt and ended 20 years later with the Greek victory at the Battle of Plataea. After the wars, Athens would become the center of Greek culture and expand its own empire.

The Battle of Plataea Step 4: Share which guesses are accurate. The Greek army is on the left and the Persian army is on the right. Greek soldiers were armed with spears, short swords, and round heavy shields made of metal and wood. The high crest on their helmets made the Greeks appear taller and stronger than they really were. When soldiers on each side were this close during battle, the short words and shields were the most effective weapons.

The Persian Empire and Greece Project Transparency 28F The Persian Empire and Greece, About 490-479 B.C.E.

Headlines Headlines are short, contain action verbs, and can omit words if the meaning is not lost by doing so. Example: Darius Plans for War! Now it is your turn. Write a headline for each of the five pictures that you analyzed. Be sure to capture the meaning of each picture in your headline.

Peloponnesian War Athens began to treat its allies unfairly Pay tribute for protection – Used the money for other things City-states began to resent Athens – Turned to Sparta 431 B.C.E. Athens and Sparta began Peloponnesian War – 27years Early in the war Plague struck Athens 1/3 of pop. Died 405 B.C.E. Sparta staged a blockade – cut off supplies Athens surrendered in 404 B.C.E.