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Greek History - Coggle Diagram
Greek History
Peloponnesian War
Documented by Thuycidides
Similar to Herodotus so may not be 100% accurate
431 BCE
The King of Sparta is convinced to invade Attica
Stage 1: The Archidamian War
Named after the king for Sparta
Spartas dominant Army has repeated attacks on Attica
The Athenians dominant Navy has regular skirmishes throughout the Peloponnese and the Aegean Coast
Happens for roughly 10 years ending with the Peace of Nicias
Intended to be a 50 year peace
Didn't last that long
415 BCE
Stage 2: Attempted attack at Syracuse
Took 2 years
Athenian ships begin sail to Syracuse, on the coast of Sicily, in an attempt to take it over and extend their empire
The fleet is destroyed by the people of Syracuse with help from Sparta
Stage 3: Ionian/Decelean War
Small village called Decelea is taken over by the Spartans
Many of the Polis in the 'Athenian Empire' were trying to revolt
Sparta began to assist these revolts
405 BCE
Naval battle at Aegospotami
Decisive victory for the Spartans
Sparta gain help from the Persians
404 BCE - Athens Surrenders
Many Towns have been destroyed and the majority of Greece is greatly weakened by the war
Philip of Macedon uses the vulnerability and the Macedonians attack Greek Poleis and unifies them in the 4th Century BCE
Greco Persian Wars
Persian Empire (Archaemenic Empire)
Cyrus The Great
Conquered the Neo-Babylonian empire - 539 BCE
Conquered the majority of the Middle East
Conquered the Egyptian Empire
Under the rule of Darius - 490 BCE
Ionia - Greek settlements under Persian control
From 500-494BCE there are a series of revolts in Ionia
498 BCE - Rebels take over and Destroy Sardis
Persian force sent to re-claim control and take revenge on the rebels
First fleet sent out in 492 BCE
The fleet runs into a storm and is largely destroyed
Second attempt - 490 BCE
Successfully capture Eritrea
The Athenians defeat the Persians at Marathon
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Had support from the Greeks
The Greeks weren't a unified empire rather a group of city states
Shared common language and religion
Athens and Eritrea
Documented by Herodotus - A Greek historian
The wars were long before his time and he was Greek so the details may not be completely accurate
No surviving Persian accounts
Build-up to the Peloponnesian War
Athenians want to construct a wall around Athens after the Persian Wars to protect from future invasions
They may still be concerned about the Persians or possibly the thought of attack from Sparta
The Spartans are well known for their powerful army
What is often referred to as the 'long wall' extended around Athens and Piraeus
Gave the Athenians direct access to the sea
Sparta knew Athens had a strong Navy
The Athenian navy was essential to victory at Salamis
Sparta felt threatened
Athens continue to grow their Navy and become more and more powerful
The wall would maket it hard for Sparta to attack due to their strong land force but weaker Navy
Sparta suggests that Athens constructs the wall at the Isthmus of Corinth instead
the Athenians Build the wall around Athens to protect them selfs and exclude Spartas
Athens begin making alliances with islands throughout the Aegean Sea and some on the coast of Anatolia
All of Athens allies meet on the island of Delos
They create an agreement to contribute parts of their Navy as well as money to continue fighting the Persians
this is called the Delian League
Sparta begin to realise that as Athens is gaining more and more power with in the Delian League it starts to turn into an Athenian Empire
Spartas Insecurities grow
464 BCE - Sparta are planning to Invade Athens
Major earthquake in Sparta at this time
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Spartan Helot Uprising
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459 BCE - Two Spartan allies, Megara and Corinth have a dispute
Athens forms an alliance with Megara
After over a decade Athens and Sparta begin having skirmishes with one another and are essentially at war with one another
For 15 years (From 460/459 BCE) the first Peloponnesian war is in full force
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Second Persian invasion
Lead By King Xerxes
480 BCE - Herodotus claimed that the army numbered in the Millions
Moderns historians believe that 50k-300k is more accurate
Land invasion to be stopped by the Greeks at Thermopylae
Unknown if the idea was to
STOP
the army here or simply
DELAY
them and finish the battle at Salamis - either way the Persian army was simply delayed
King Leonidas and his 300 spartan Hoplites and roughly 7000 other Greeks they recruited along the way
Thermopylae has a very narrow passage for the Persian army to fit through making it easier for such a small force to hold them off
A Greek traitor went to the the Persians and showed them another way around the pass of Thermopylae
Xerxes sent his force of immortals around and flanked the Greek warriors trapping the force in the pass. Each of the Spartan warriors fights until they cannot fight anymore and cause the Persians to become severely disheartened
The Persians marched onwards after the battle ar Thermopylae towards Athens
Athens had evacuated the Polis when they saw the Persians approaching and left for Salamis
They destroyed Athens but the Athenian people were all un-harmed
Xerxes leaves and head back to Persia but leaves a ground force behind who soon faced a decisive defeat at Plataea
Fleet of roughly 1,200 ships
Another storm hits and approximately 1/3 of the fleet is destroyed
200-300 greek ships to face the Persian fleet
Successfully delayed them but didn't stop them
The Greek fleet 'Retreated' and the Persians followed to the Straight of Salamis
There they defeated the Persian fleet
Another 200 Persian ships destroyed in a storm after trying to go around Euboea
Sea invasion to be stopped by the Greeks at the straight of Artemisium
Unknown if the idea was to
STOP
the fleet here or simply
DELAY
them and finish the battle at Salamis - either way the Persian fleet was simply delayed