Day 11

·       Today in class we took notes. My notes consisted of  close-rank, dense grouping of warriors

·       armed with long spears and interlocking shields

·       soldiers would advance slowly toward the enemy, until they broke through their ranks

• look at how little and insignificant Greece appears
• look at how big the Persian Empire is
• Persians have a huge army, and nearly unlimited resources
• this beatdown shouldn’t take long!

Greek army

• iron weapons meant ordinary citizens could afford to arm themselves
• foot soldiers (hoplites) trained from an early age
• armed with spears, swords, shields
• often fought in phalanx formation
• “home field” advantage
• motivated to preserve democracy

Persian army

• first archers (do damage from a distance)
• then cavalry (they disrupt communication between generals and soldiers)
• then lightly armored infantry (carried spear, sword, and bow)
• huge numbers
• long way from home

professional army (soldiers for hire, or mercenaries)

·       546 BC: Persians conquer Greeks in Ionia

·       499-494 BC: Ionian revolt (Athens helps)

·       Darius the Great defeats these rebels and vows revenge on Athens

·       490 BC: Persian fleet attacks Marathon, but loses (run, Pheidippides, run!)

·       480 BC: Xerxes (Darius’ son) conducts massive assault on Athens

·       480 BC: Greeks (especially 300 Spartans) hold their own at Themopylae

·       480 BC: Greeks abandon Athens to fight Persia at sea, winning at Straits of Salamis

·       victorious Greeks form Delian League