FREE ESSAY ON PERSIAN WAR

PERSIAN WAR

The Persian Wars
A long time ago Croesus the king of Lydia took over the Greek colonies on the east 
coast of Asia Minor (Turkey). Croesus was a kind and fair ruler so the Greeks did not
really 
mind. But around 546 BC King Croesus and his empire was overthrown by Cyrus the Great 
who was Persian. 
About fifty years later Asia Minor revolted against Persia. The rebellion was assisted by

Athens. The rebellion was successful. After the rebellion had stopped Darius I took
complete 
control over Asia Minor. Darius sent tyrants to rule over all Greek city states except
Athens and 
Sparta refused to accept the tyrants. After Darius took rule the Ionian city states
rebelled another 
time. Darius took this as a personal insult and sent troops in to destroy Athens. Athens
beat the 
Persians whose army was almost three times the size of the Athenian army at the famous
Battle 
of Marathon. The battle was fought on the Plains of Marathon outside of Athens. 
Darius' successor Xerxes I brought together the largest army of ancient history. In 480 
BC Xerxes led his troops to the narrow passes of Thermopylae. In this battle several
thousand 
soldiers led by the Spartan leader Leonidas I fought against the Spartans. A Greek
traitor told 
the Persians a way to get around the Greek forces and enter the pass through their flank.
The 
Persians did so and annihilated the Greek forces from the rear. There was nothing left
between 
the Persians and Athens so the Persians plundered and destroyed the abandoned city. 
The next battle that took place was when the Persian fleet tried to pursue the Greek
fleet 
at the Battle of Salamis. The Persians did not stand a chance in that battle and lost.
All the 
Persian forces left in Greece were defeated a year later at the Battle of Plataea and
Greece won 
it's independence.