1. WORLD HISTORY READERS
Level 3-⑦
The Battle of Salamis

2. A Sea Battle Near Thermopylae
Cleopatra and Ptolemy on a boat
How was the Battle of Thermopylae related to the Battle of Salamis?
When the Persians, from modern-day Iran, invaded Greece, Sparta and some other Greek cities sent soldiers to stop Xerxes at the narrow pass of Thermopylae. The Persians won that battle, and the Greek navy had to pull back from where they were fighting the Persians at sea. The Greek fleet of ships moved to a narrow area of water called the Straits of Salamis. Because it was narrow, it was a good place for a small fleet to fight a big one.
A Greek warrior
Xerxes, king of Persia
The narrow pass of Thermopylae
A monument showing Spartan soldiers at Thermopylae

3. Fight or Give Up
Cleopatra and Ptolemy on a boat
What were both sides fighting for during the Battle of Salamis?
They were fighting for control of Greece. If the Greek navy could beat the Persians at Salamis, the Persian army would have to leave Greece and go home. If the Persians won, they could take all the cities in Greece.
The narrow straits at Salamis

4. The Trick How did the Greeks trick the Persians?
Themistocles, A Greek hero
A slave told a lie to Xerxes.
How did the Greeks trick the Persians?
The Greek leader, Themistocles, fooled the Persians into attacking by sending a slave as an informer.
The slave tricked Xerxes by saying that the Greeks would flee during the night.
Xerxes and all his commanders wanted to attack except Queen Artemisia.
An actress as Queen Artemisia
Why didn't Queen Artemisia want to attack the Greek navy?
She said that the Greeks could not get away and were running out of food. She did not think that attacking them was necessary.
What did Xerxes decide?
He decided to attack.

5. The Persian Fleet vs. the Greek Fleet
Battleships
How many ships were involved in the battle?
The Persian fleet had about 800 ships. The Greeks only had about 370 ships.
The ship could sail or be rowed.
What kind of ships were they?
Both sides had very similar ships called triremes. The ships had three rows of oars on each side to move through the water quickly. Plus, the powerful ram on the front could be used to smash into an enemy ship and sink it.

6. The Battle Begins What happened when the battle began?
Salamis: the battle that changed history
Greek ships near the shore
What happened when the battle began?
The Greeks had their ships in a U-shape across the strait with nowhere to escape. As the Persian navy rushed towards the Greeks, the Greek ships rowed backwards. The narrow Straits of Salamis helped the Greeks. Because there were so many more Persian ships, they did not have much space to move. The Greek ships had more space and were able to hit some of the Persian ships with their rams. They hit so hard that the first line of Persian ships was pushed back into the second line.

7. The Battle Ends How did the battle end?
At least 200 Persian ships sank.
Ships sinking
How did the battle end?
The Greeks sank at least 200 Persian ships while only losing about 40 of their own ships. Everything was so close together that soldiers fought with arrows and swords as if they were on land. Many ships sank. Most of the Greeks could swim, but many Persians drowned because they could not swim. It was soon clear that the Persians had lost.

8. Greece is Saved
Did Persia give up the idea of taking over Greece?
The Greeks win.
No, Persia did not give up the idea of taking over Greece. The next year, they attacked Greece again. But waiting had given the Greeks time to repair their ships and make their army stronger. There were battles at both Plataea and Mycale, but the Greeks won. The threat was finally over. Greece was saved.

9. Why Salamis Was Important
A view of Greece today
A map of the Persian Empire
The memorial of the Battle of Salamis
Why was Salamis important?
The Battle of Salamis kept Greece from becoming a part of the Persian Empire. How different the West would be now if the Greeks had not won!

10. Vocabulary army n. backwards adv.
a group of soldiers who fight on land
backwards adv.
towards the direction that is behind or opposite to the usual direction

11. Vocabulary captain n. flee v. the person who controls a ship
to run away (from danger)

12. Vocabulary hilltop n. smash v. the highest part of a hill
to hit something very hard and break or damage it

13. Vocabulary strait n. truth n.
a narrow body of water between two pieces of land
Did you eat the cake?
Yes!
truth n.
the real or true facts about someone or something