THE GREEK NAVY
During the 500's B.C., the Persian empire
expanded rapidly and conquered the
Greek city-states in Asia Minor.
From 499 to 494 B.C., these city-states rebelled
against their Persian rulers.
King Darius I of Persia crushed the revolt
and sent his army to punish Athens, which had aided the rebels.
The Athenian army was outnumbered by the Persians, but it defeated the Persian army at the Battle of Marathon in 490 B.C.
In 480 B.C., King Xerxes I, the son of Darius, led a massive Persian invasion of Greece.
Many of the Greek city-states united under Sparta's leadership to fight the invaders.
The Persians overwhelmed a tiny Greek force at Thermopylae, north of Athens, and went on to take Athens.
The Greek navy followed a plan of the Athenian statesman Themistocles and withdrew to the Bay of Salamis.
There, it thoroughly defeated the Persians and sank about half their fleet.
Xerxes returned to Persia with many of his troops.
The Greeks defeated the remaining Persina forces in 479 B.C. The Greeks regarded their victory over the Persians as their finest hour. It showed what they could do when they set aside their differences and united.