The Persian Wars Flow Chart

The Greeks and Persians were cultural and commercial rivals.

The Persian Empire was huge (more than 8 million square miles)

The Persians conquered Ionia in 545 BC

The Ionians revolted around 425 BC

CAUSES/BUILD UP

Athens and some other Poleis came to the aid of the Ionians by sending war ships.

The Persians defeated the Greeks after 5 years.

The Persian king, Darius, wanted to punnish the Ioninas and the other Greek poleis who helped them.

In 490 BC Darius sent a fleet of 600 ships and a well equiped army to Greece.

KEY BATTLES

The Greeks defeat the Persians in the Battle of Marathon (490 BC)

The Persians defeat the combined Greek forces at the Battle of Thermopylae (480 BC)

At the Battle of Salamis (480 BCE) the Greeks decicively beat the Persians and Xerxes retreated to Aisia minor.

The Persians are defeated at the Battle of Plattea (479 BCE), effectively ending the second Persian invasion.

Delian League formed in 479 BCE to combine efforts against the Persians. This is seen as the beggining of the Athenian Empire.

Athenian general Cimon captured the important Persian stronghold of Eion in 476 to 475 BCE.

General Cimon freed the coastal towns of Caria from the Persians in a series of land and sea battles in 468 BCE.

The Greeks were badly defeated by the Persians at Prosopitis in 456 BCE after trying to suppourt the Egyption rebellion.

Persia and Athens signed a peace treaty, the Peace of Callias in 449 BCE

PEACE/RESOLUTION