Essay on Developments in Greece and Persian War

            In 1000 BC, Greece was actually a world of communities and villages. Many individuals lived in communities and only a few people lived in these communities. Even Athens was approximately 4,000 and 3,000 strong. However, at the end of millennium, some of the largest communities and cities were boasted by the east Mediterranean. Seleucia, Antioch, and Alexandria each had approximately 500,000 – 250,000 inhabitants. In the eight BC century, the first transition was a response to the population growth of Mediterranean. Institutions were developed by Greeks which enabled larger groups to be civilized and live together.

            After 500 BC, the second threshold was soon crossed by cities with the emergence of administrative centers. Sufficient wealth was provided by control of empires for Syracuse and Athens to expand beyond the capacity and capability of their hinterlands. The third breakthrough actually started when the fourth century was ending with the Persian Empire’s Macedonian conquest. Greater revenues were controlled by administrative centers in comparison with Syracuse and Athens. The expansion and growth of these regions matched the emergence of Rome as an imperial region. In the first millennial, the foundation of structural revolution was also laid.

            The size of large communities were increased by the growth of population and it served to cause changes in the traditional lifestyles. In addition to these changes, information-storage and writing technologies were also revolutionized. These were the most significant political changes as people were allowed to not only live in communities but also develop at a significantly rate (Clogg, 2013).

Persian War

            The Persian Wars refer to the issues and conflicts between Persia and Greece in the 5^th century. It involved two invasions by Persia in the ending of fifth century. During the wars, several significant and famous battles were fought which include Plataea, Salamis, Thermopylae, and Marathon. The victory was acquired by Greeks and they preserved their civilizations.

 Darius was ruling Persia and under his rule, it had already expanded into mainland Europe. Athens was in the sight of the king after conquering Macedonia, Thrace, and Ionia. The most significant reason for wanting to conquer Greece was to quell the rebel states. Mainland Greece invasion was not led by Darius as it was Datis, his general who was responsible for leading the army. When the army fought against the Greek army, their strategy proved to be inefficient. Persians had thought about rapidly firing the arrows and not stopping for even a short while. However, these arrows were quite light and they were useless against the armors of Greeks. It was not their planning but their armor and equipped arsenal which led them to victory.

            Thermopylae began when King Xerxes walked in the steps of Darius and gathered a significant force of invasion for attacking Greece. This time, the aim was to launch an attack through Thermopylae located on the east coast. This was not a full-fledged battle but just a minor battle which resulted in several deaths but it had enabled Persians to invade Greece. Due to it, several states were turned over to the army of Persia. In September, a large enemy force was faced by the Greeks at Salamis. In this battle, Themistocles was the one responsible for gaining victor over the Persians. He made a plan of enticing the Persian fleet into Salamis’ narrow straits and hit the fleet in such a way that all routes of retreat were destroyed.

            A great victory was acquired by the Greeks and the remaining shops of Persians had retreated. In spite of the naval defeat, the position of Persia was quite strong and they still controlled the majority of Greece. Their land army was not shaken and after several political negotiations, it was clarified that diplomacy could not help Persians in gaining victory over the land. It was at Plataea where the armies met again and this time, the number of soldiers in both of the armies were very large. Even though archers and cavalry played their parts, it was the superiority of phalanx and hoplite which made Greeks gain victory over Persians.  

            Other than the victory at Plataea, the Persian garrison was destroyed by the Greek fleet which was actually led by Leotychides. In order to ensure that there would be no attacks in the future, a peace treaty was made in 449 BCE. Peace of Callias is the peace treaty that was signed between Greece and Persia. It served to keep them away from each other (Hanson, 2012).

References of Developments in Greece and Persian War

Clogg, R. (2013). A concise history of Greece. Cambridge University Press.

Hanson, V. D. (2012). Makers of ancient strategy: from the Persian wars to the fall of Rome. Princeton University Press.