battle ancient greek major battles ended second persian invasion greece persian wars took place august slopes coast opposite island battle fought alliance greek city states including athens previous year persian invasion force led scored victories battles conquered ensuing allied greek navies won unlikely victory prevented conquest retreated leaving general substantial army finish greeks following year summer greeks assembled huge army contemporary standards marched confront time allied fleet sailed remnants persian navy based seeking avoid battle beached fleet slopes support persian army group built camp greek commander decided attack landing fleet complement marines persian forces stout resistance heavily armoured greek proved superior combat eventually routed persian troops fled camp greek contingents persian army defected camp large number slaughtered persian ships captured burned complete destruction persian navy destruction army allegedly day decisively ended invasion greece allied greeks offensive marking new phase persian wars sense decisive victory attributed significance time example victory battle marathon greek defeat background greek city states athens supported unsuccessful revolt relatively young prone revolts subject peoples spent considerable time revolts rule revolt threatened integrity empire vowed punish involved especially empire saw opportunity expand empire world preliminary expedition secure land approaches greece ended conquest forced client kingdom persia amphibious task force sent successfully moving attack athens ensuing won remarkable victory resulted withdrawal persian army asia began raising huge new army meant completely greece died invasion begin throne persia passed son quickly resumed preparations invasion greece including building bridges sent ambassadors greece asking earth water gesture submission making deliberate omission athens open war persia support began leading states congress city states met late autumn confederate alliance formed referred allies remarkable greek world especially city states attendance technically war allies initially adopted strategy blocking land sea approaches southern greece august hearing approach small allied army led king blocked whilst dominated navy sailed famously vastly outnumbered greek army held army days total mountain path greek army retreated rearguard formed contingents surrounded annihilated simultaneous consisting series naval encounters point stalemate news reached retreated holding straits point following persian army proceeded burn sack cities surrendered taking possession evacuated city athens allied army prepared defend wished final crushing defeat allies finish conquest greece campaigning season conversely allies sought decisive victory persian navy guarantee security ensuing naval ended decisive victory allies marking turning point conflict following defeat navy retreated asia according majority army suggests feared greeks sail destroy bridges trapping army europe left troops complete conquest greece following year evacuated destroyed city winter tension allies particular protected fleet key security felt hard demanded allied army march north following year allies failed commit fleet refused join allied navy spring navy command king whilst remnants persian fleet sides unwilling risk battle similarly remained knowing attack pointless whilst allies refused send army outside moved break stalemate trying win fleet alexander offering peace self government territorial expansion sure delegation hand hear offer rejected degree shadow strength hardly need bring attention aware love liberty surrender refusal marched south athens evacuated left repeated offer peace refugees athens sent demanding assistance threatening accept persian terms according time celebrating festival delayed making decision persuaded guest pointed danger greece surrendered delivered ultimatum day amazed hear task force fact route army marching meet response navy joined allied fleet approached delegation suggested cities revolt allied fleet successfully engaged persian fleet furthermore pointed poor morale reduced persian fleet decided attempt sailed prelude heard allied fleet approaching set sail mainland according decided council beat allies naval battle sent ships away explain sailed shore near left army command guard beached ships built prepared guard makeshift fort finding persian fleet gone allies thrown uncertainty eventually resolved sail mainland equipped naval battle allies approached attempt engage remained guarding camp sailed close camp possible herald appeal men hear understand means understand charge join battle right man remember freedom battle cry let hears tell heard suggests purpose message firstly encourage unbeknownst fight allies fight message known following appeal allies beached ships began prepare assault camp contingent support allies took away armour furthermore sent guard passes defect rid potential internal threats left camp prepared battle probable relatively small number marines allies disembarked battle encouraging leave safety camp reports allies approached persian camp spread allied victory claims informed allies victory battle began morale boosted set forth win victory explanations attempted explain occurrence alleged fact took place day green suggests following victory allied commander took control persian beacon system communicate asia send allied fleet explain victory near simultaneous attack possible theory number persian ships men involved battle persian wars somewhat problematic clear persian fleet dare conduct operations greeks approximately equal smaller greek fleet gives size persian fleet ships greeks suffered significant losses probably total necessarily ships formed allied fleet ships dismissed persian fleet battle reduced strength tells guard camp ships gathered men total suggests men army command accounts suggest men fleet given persian fleet appears aftermath ships number naval personnel standard complement men ship total probably high accommodate men ships persian camp enormous estimates huge camp planned built plenty time suggest accommodated men large camp built time frame suggests possible quoted actually total number present certainly outnumbered allies emerging confidence seeing smaller number allied troops greeks numbers ships men allies somewhat problematic claims command previous year allies fielded battle battle told allies command sea implies equal persian fleet hand tells allies ships consistent force levels previous year numbers reconciled assuming command joined ships allied army marched approach taken holland gives naval force match remnants persian fleet sent ample manpower man large fleet especially rowers tended lower classes afford equipment fight standard complement men including marines second persian invasion greece persian ship carried thirty extra marines probably true invasion invasion force apparently carried furthermore ships battle carried marines suggests probably carry maximum soldiers easily extra weight combining numbers yields range men allies heavily armoured marines estimates men given sources approximately median possible range likely number marines expected fight hand hand rowers allied fleet probably equipped fight land battle likely marines contested battle strategic tactical considerations strategic point view battle necessary main strategic theatre mainland greece destroying enemy navy result clear strategic advantage sides attempting loss navy actions sides reflect morale confidence strategic considerations seeing little gain battle dissent sought avoid naval battle conversely allies initially nervous battle sought press home morale advantage informed state persian fleet persian fleet held advantage sea greek fleet despite efforts raw low morale fact outnumbered sought instead tactical advantage joining army position greeks chose fight land threw away advantage fortifications emerging fight greeks open field furthermore marathon shown large numbers conferred little advantage heavily armoured battle began greeks tactical upper hand battle allies formed wings right left contingents right wing marched level ground straight persian camp whilst left wing attempted passing broken ground right wing began fighting left wing approaching reports fought contingents wished win victory arrived attacked stood ground eventually broke fled soldiers right wing followed camp point persian army fled camp ethnic persian troops grouped fought allied soldiers entered camp finally left wing arrived camp falling rear remaining persian forces completing rout tells seeing outcome battle hung balance disarmed joined allies inspired contingents turn stage battle happened clear presumably main battle line disarmed retreated camp guarding passes turned fleeing persian contingents ended allied troops seeing outcome battle certain began killing fleeing mention specific figures casualties merely saying losses heavy sides particular suffered losing general persian admiral general killed escaped says troops escaped battle way claims persian casualties suggests survivors way aftermath arrived persian camp looted beached ships destroyed returning discussed moves proposed evacuate cities greeks bring population greek mainland difficult defend persian attacks objected cities originally greek colonies greeks later joined persia twin victories second persian invasion greece threat future invasion greeks remained worried try time apparent persian desire conquer greece diminished victory allied fleet sailed break bridges found sailed home remained attack held region allies strongest town region laid siege protracted siege fell marking beginning new phase persian wars greek counterattack ended histories siege years greeks primarily dominated expel help expel islands peace persia finally came peace finally ending half century warfare significance great significance ancient history battles decisively ended second persian invasion greece swinging balance persian wars favour greeks saved greece immediate conquest effectively ended threat battles known marathon reason entirely clear result circumstances battle fought fame certainly lies doomed heroism greeks face overwhelming numbers marathon fought odds dire strategic situations conversely battles fought relative position greek strength lesser odds greeks expecting win certainly seen opportunity deal final blow militarily major lesson fought land repeated confirmation superiority lightly armed persian infantry demonstrated marathon taking lesson persian wars persian empire started recruiting relying greek mercenaries illustrated later ancient sources histories online version excerpt modern sources holland tom isbn green peter persian wars berkeley revised hardcover isbn paperback isbn defence greece isbn sources citation invention translated papers leeds rome war moses introduction history war translated isbn isbn
Battle of Mycale