Second Persian War Fact Sheet

Duration 480-479BC
Main Xerxes, Themistocles, Leonidas, Mardonius, Pausanias
characters
Reasons given It was sort of a revenge for the landslide Persian lost in the first wars,
for war. especially at Marathon
Events Battle of Thermopylae - Persians invaded Greece via the Hellespont in
a land and sea operation. Greeks sent forces to Tempe but found it
indefensible and retreated to Thermopylae. Leonidas attempts to hold
mountain pass. Persians unable to take advantage of their large
numbers due to strategic location of Greeks. Thermopylae last pass
where Greeks could stand a chance against Persian numbers. Leonidas
outnumbered 50:1.
Battle of Artimesium - Persians moved southwards with 1000 ships,
meeting up with. Greeks had 261 ships. Greeks used Periplous,
capturing 30 Persian ships. The second battle was heavily indecisive as
there were heavy losses on both sides.
Battle of Sardis - The last stage of the naval campaign. Greeks
outnumbered 2:1. Themistocles uses idea to use the strait to
neutralize Persian numbers. 200 Persian ships sunk, 1000s of sailors
drowned, more than 40 triremes lost. Persia forced to retreat to
Thebes as their supply line was broken. All of Greece north of Athens
under Persian control. Xerxes retreated to his palace, leaving
Mardonius with instructions to finish off hoplites and subdue
remaining poleis.
Battle of Plataea - Mardonius remains in Greece with handpicked
infantry and cavalry. Diplomatic offer for Athens to join Persian army
with all conditions listed below. Athens refused, then essentially told
Sparta to pull it together and help or they’d take up Persia’s offer.
Mardonius chose Boetia in an attempt to get the Greeks in a spot
where the Persians were at an advantage. Greatest force in hoplite
warfare history. Mardonius ignored lessons from Marathon and chose
to attack poorly (Hansen). Persian losses were great. The Greek victory
destroyed Persian hopes of Western Conquest. Persians never attack
Greeks again.
Battle Mycale - Half the Greeks (led by Athenians) face the Persians.
Ionians fighting for Persia go over to Greek forces marking the ‘Second
Ionian Revolt’. Asia Minor left without Greek protection. Greeks burn
ships and Persian fort.
Themistocles decree - there is an inscription portraying how the
Athenians were told to evacuate Athens before the Persians burnt it to
 the ground.
Destruction of Athens - Xerxes and his army burned all of Athens to
the ground reducing their city to rubble. Later, Mardonius offers to
entirely rebuild Athens, temples, allow them self-government, and
increase of territory if Athens allies with Persia
Outcomes - Battle of Plataea marked the end of Persians attacking Greece.
- Hellenic league between Greek city states formed, most of the
coastal nations reinstate their independence.
- Extreme Persian loss - showed to the rest of the world that the
Persians can be defeated.
- Persian foreign policy shifts to maintaining their empire and
meddling in foreign politics subversively rather than overtly.
- Persians began to support either Sparta or Athens in their
conflicts with each other.