battle battle series naval engagements days second persian invasion greece battle took place simultaneously famous land battle august september coast fought alliance including athens persian invasion delayed response defeat persian invasion greece ended victory battle marathon king amassed huge army navy set conquer greece general proposed block advance persian army pass simultaneously block persian navy allied naval force dispatched await arrival approaching end summer persian navy caught gale coast lost ships arriving sent detachment ships coast attempt trap greeks caught storm main action battle took place days smaller engagements sides fought day roughly equal losses smaller allied fleet afford losses engagement allies received news defeat allied army strategy required held given losses allies decided withdraw overran captured evacuated athens seeking decisive victory allied fleet later defeated battle late fearing trapped europe withdrew army asia leaving complete conquest greece following year saw allied army decisively defeat battle ending persian invasion 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 conquered forced fully subordinate client kingdom persia vassal ally early late 6th century remained having autonomy campaign changed sent greek city states asking gift earth water token submission having demonstration power previous year majority greek cities duly obliged athens ambassadors trial executed throwing pit simply thrown meant effectively war persia amphibious task force attacked receiving submission task force moved besieged destroyed finally moved attack athens landing bay marathon met heavily outnumbered army ensuing won remarkable victory resulted withdrawal persian army asia 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 scale invasion required long term planning stock conscription decided allow army cross europe canal dug rounding persian fleet destroyed feats exceptional ambition contemporary state early preparations complete army mustered marched europe crossing bridges preparing war decision taken guidance politician build massive fleet necessary greeks fight manpower fight land sea require alliance states sent ambassadors greece asking earth water making deliberate omission athens support began leading states congress city states met late autumn confederate alliance formed power send envoys asking assistance dispatch troops member states defensive points joint consultation remarkable greek world especially city states attendance technically war congress met spring delegation suggested allies muster narrow borders block advance force dispatched believed persian army pass warned alexander bypassed pass army overwhelming greeks retreated shortly received news crossed suggested second strategy allies route southern greece require army travel narrow pass pass easily blocked greek despite overwhelming numbers furthermore prevent bypassing sea allied navies block straits dual strategy adopted congress cities fall plans defend fail whilst women children athens evacuated city prelude allied fleet sailed north cape known persian army advancing coast past probably late july beginning august allies took station likely ships quickly launched needed allies sent ships scouts provide warning approach persian fleet weeks passed sight persian fleet finally arrived main allied fleet informed fire beacon lit island allied patrol ships caught unaware captured whilst ran aground according ensuing confusion unsure beacon heralded arrival persian fleet precaution allied fleet launched straits clear persian fleet going arrive day decided sail halfway western coast leaving men heights warn actual arrival persian ships historians suggest allies persian movements come mistaken conclusion sailing east aiming sail eastern signals sent fire simplistic potentially interpreted alternatively genuinely believed persian fleet sailing east sailed outer eastern head straight cut allied fleet line retreat furthermore ships attempt attack sail withdrawal gave allies opportunity escape travel outside allowed return necessary context left inform allies persian fleet sail east allied fleet continued wait allies undoubtedly anxious facing persian fleet outnumbered somewhat days later persian army arrived allies informed ship captained appointed army fleet sign persian fleet day spent passed launching attack day persian fleet finally drew near heading coast summer gale probably north easterly storm broke driving persian fleet mountainous coast storm lasted days approximately persian ships continued wait greeks disperse choosing attack storm day storm finished allied fleet returned protect flank army following day fifth arrived persian army began attacks allied army day persian fleet finally appeared began coast opposite according persian ships allied lines captured clearly storm damaged persian fleet probably outnumbered allies nearly result allies contemplated withdrawing completely wanting abandoned try ensure allied fleet remained joint operation strategy place likely exactly wanted bribe allowed turn bribe remain later day persian fleet greek called swam allied camp brought bad news allies whilst persian fleet undergoing repairs detached ships sail outer coast block escape route allied fleet want attack allies thought allies simply flee sought trap allies resolved meet detachment prevent trapped planned leave nightfall prevent aware plans allies likely realised situation presented opportunity destroy isolated persian fleet clear allies planned meet detachment resolved possibility planned sail hope allied ships patrolling coast note followed entered south caught trap alternatively allies planned ambush detachment passed journey way decided demonstration persian lines remained day convince planning stay suggests opportunity assess persian tactics allies probably waited late afternoon little chance drawn scale engagement want suffer casualties sailing meet persian detachment decisions finally led beginning battle chronology exact chronology battles relation somewhat unclear chronology represents estimated reconstruction time line following holland opposing forces persian fleet gives detailed description persian fleet assembled spring table fleet struck storm coast approximately fleet lost persian fleet approximately modern scholars accepted numbers especially ancient sources unusually consistent point authors reject number seen reference combined greek fleet generally claim launched warships greek fleet claims ships greek fleet battle following contingents numbers refer ships building large fleet ostensibly help win ongoing conflict probable build guidance future conflict mind initially requested command allied fleet allowed command fleet given order preserve unity force strategic tactical considerations strategically allied mission simple fleet needed protect flank army whilst cut strategic situation equally simple options needed force way holding necessary allied effort position straits theoretically easier sailing east coast greek position chosen order watch attempts channel allies found better position near city significant tactical advantage allies having better sailing ships better sailing mentions probably superior crews ships majority fleet newly built inexperienced crews common naval tactics mediterranean area time equipped ram bows boarding ship borne marines essentially turned sea battle land greeks time begun use known entirely clear probably involved sailing gaps enemy ships maneuver required skilled sailing likely employ allies developed tactics specifically counter suggests allied ships heavier weight reduce likelihood allied ships employing source uncertain possibly allied ships construction suggestion caused weight fully armoured marines allies extra marines board ships boarding main tactic available cost making ships heavier refers greeks capturing ships sinking battle day saw allied fleet rowing decided seize opportunity attack late day thought win easy victory quickly advanced smaller allied fleet allies come tactic situation turned bows drew middle usually taken mean formed circle pointing reports war fleets twice adopted circular formation actually use word circle points difficulty forming circle ships fleets ships possible allies formed crescent formation wings drawn prevent persian ships sailing allied line case likely maneuver intended superior persian specifically use having assumed formation giving signal allied ships moved suddenly position second signal rowing persian ships catching guard superior came worst encounter ships captured sunk battle greek ship captained defected allies nightfall ended battle allies having fared better possibly expected night storm broke time probably thunder storm possibly south easterly wind preventing allies setting southwards counter persian detachment sent outside storm hit persian detachment ships driving course rocky coast persian fleet losing ships second day following day second day persian fleet recovering storms declined attack allies instead attempted fleet news reached allies day reinforcement ships athens waiting late afternoon allies took opportunity attack patrol ships destroying retreating night fell ships possibly survivors wrecked detachment sent anchored isolated harbour day day battle persian fleet ready attack allied lines force seeing persian fleet assemble allies attempted block best waited attack formed ships tried allied fleet allies rowed forward joined battle battle day long allies hard defend line fleets finally nightfall sides suffered roughly equal losses smaller allied fleet scarcely afford losses half ships largest contingent fleet damaged lost returning allies saw probably able hold line day losses debated withdraw whilst awaited news ordered men slaughter flocks fall persian hands arrived liaison ship told allies destruction allied rearguard holding longer held strategic purpose given losses allies decided evacuate immediately aftermath alerted withdrawal greeks boat believe sent ships case finding fleet set sail morning sailed sacked surrounding region allied fleet sailed coast assist evacuation remaining route left inscriptions addressed greek crews persian fleet springs water stop asking defect allied cause men proper campaigning fathers wishing greece best came possible battle stand aside higher force defect operations come hand act purposely remembering blood cause animosity came following persian army burned sacked cities submitted marching evacuated city athens allies prepared defend single road led building wall effective strategy required allied navy stage simultaneous blockade barring passage persian navy troops landed directly instead mere blockade persuaded allies seek decisive victory persian fleet persian navy september allied fleet able destroy persian fleet essentially ended threat fearing greeks attack bridges trap army europe retreated army asia left hand picked force complete conquest following year pressure allies eventually agreed try force battle marched retreated lure greeks open terrain sides eventually met near city battle august greek army won decisive victory destroying persian army ending invasion greece near simultaneous naval greeks destroyed remaining persian fleet reducing threat invasions significance considered relatively insignificant battle allies defeat persian navy prevent advancing coast greece conversely destroy greek fleet weaken battle pleased wider context persian wars significant battle allies allies demonstrated stand persian navy having better encounters allied crews taste battle experience gained forthcoming battle fighting allowed greek persian fleet performed gave insights beaten addition events crucial cutting size persian fleet military action meaning odds faced allies battle overwhelming poet sons laid shining foundation stone freedom ancient sources histories online version excerpt history war laws modern sources holland tom london isbn green peter persian wars berkeley revised hardcover isbn paperback isbn defence greece isbn sources citation invention translated leeds burn persia greeks cambridge history iran volume median des moses introduction history war translated isbn joseph companion ancient macedonia sons isbn
Battle of Artemisium