ConflictEurope

The Persian Wars

491 BCE

The city-states repel the world's largest empire

In depth

Herodotus wrote the war down and in the same motion effectively invented history as a discipline — he names sources, weighs conflicting accounts and attempts to explain causes. The narrative of "freedom against despotism" is his, and has been used politically in Europe ever since. From the Persian side the campaign was a border conflict on the edge of an empire reaching to India.

For children

The Persian empire sent armies against Greece twice. Against the odds the Greeks won, first at Marathon and then in the sea battle at Salamis. The victory gave them a confidence that marked everything they did for the next century.

Connects to

The Persian Empire540 BCE
Democracy in Athens509 BCE
The Parthenon448 BCE – 433 BCE
Alexander the Great332 BCE – 324 BCE

Part of Terra Saga — the story of Earth on a timeline. terrasaga.org