siege siege took place persian invasion greece city besieged strong persian force command persian invasion response greek involvement sent force support cities attempt overthrow persian rule force succeeded capturing burning regional capital persia forced retreat heavy losses response raid persian king swore revenge athens revolt finally crushed persian victory battle began plan greece sent naval task force attacks athens reaching mid summer successful campaign proceeded siege siege lasted days fifth column nobles betrayed city city plundered population enslaved orders prisoners eventually taken persia settled colonists persian force sailed athens landing bay marathon army marched meet won famous victory battle marathon ending persian invasion background persian invasion greece immediate roots earliest phase persian wars result longer term interaction greeks relatively young highly prone revolts subject peoples persian king spent considerable time revolts rule begun expand empire europe forcing vassal persia attempts expansion politically world inevitable directly threatened integrity persian empire states mainland greece remained potential menace future stability resolved greece punish involved revolt begun unsuccessful expedition joint venture persian aftermath decided remove power declared democracy cities followed suit persian appointed declaring appealed states support athens offered send troops reasons sent assistance completely clear possibly commercial reasons factor city trade threatened persian dominance suggests supported revolt order repay support given past war sent task force asia minor aid revolt whilst greek army surprised marching burning lower city greeks achieved pursued coast persian horsemen losing men process despite fact actions ultimately fruitless particular earned lasting vowed punish cities persian naval victory battle ended hold outs persian fleet revolt opportunity extend empire border islands persian completion allowed begin planning moves threat empire greece punish athens finally crushed dispatched expedition greece command son law conquered compelled alexander client kingdom persia fleet brought premature end campaign following successes previous campaign decided send maritime expedition led son fled median admiral injured prior campaign fallen favor expedition intended bring persian empire punish resisted persian assault head greece force athens submit destroyed island including successfully attacking persian task force arrived mid summer ready second major objective punish prelude discovered persian task force heading attack appealed send reinforcements agreed instructed colonists nearby city aid colonists planted land athens defeated years previously arrived told leading citizen divisions advised leave save followed advice sailed avoiding fate failed come clear plan action words plans sent aid divided competing plans group wanted surrender seeking profit wanted flee hills whilst wanted fight landed territory consensus obviously reached leave city try withstand siege possible opposing forces estimate numbers presumably majority citizen body involved defence city population time clearly established according fleet sent consisted estimate size persian army saying large infantry packed ancient sources poet near contemporary says campaign force numbered later writer estimates infantry cavalry fought battle rest loaded fleet rounding independently dictionary assert modern historians proposed wide ranging numbers infantry consensus estimates cavalry range siege strategy defend walls undergo siege possibly plan agreed default option plan agreed rate persian army suffered defeats century greek army successfully fought probably sensible strategy arrived ship probable little siege equipment siege earlier expedition landed army separate locations disembarked straight began besieging city besieging city vigorously attacked walls reports fighting fierce sides suffered heavy losses days fighting eminent opened gates inside city plundered city burning temples revenge burning citizens captured enslaved ordered aftermath staying days way coast dropped captured island landing bay marathon target athens marched athens meet blocked exits plains marathon days stalemate finally resolved attack winning famous victory ensuing battle remaining fled ships picked sailed asia minor ending campaign persian invasion greece persian fleet arrived took harmed decided settle town language customs wrote history encountered conquest persia century later began raising huge new army meant completely greece egyptian subjects revolted indefinitely greek expedition died whilst preparing march egypt throne persia passed son crushed egyptian revolt quickly restarted preparations invasion greece epic second persian invasion greece finally began met initial success battles defeat battle turning point campaign year expedition ended decisive greek victory battle ancient sources histories online version excerpt history war laws description greece dictionary unknown author history funeral modern sources holland tom london isbn crucial battle created western democracy press isbn green peter persian wars berkeley revised hardcover isbn paperback isbn defence greece isbn fox alexander great isbn sources citation invention translated leeds moses introduction history war translated isbn past joseph companion ancient macedonia sons isbn
Siege of Eretria