Essential Histories The Greek and Persian W ars 499-386 BC
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Essential Histories The Greek and Persian W ars 499-386 BC Philip de Souza! J Routledge Taylor &. Francis Group N e w Y o r k a n d L o n d o n
This hardback edition is published by Routledge, an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, by arrangement with Osprey Publishing Ltd., Oxford, England. This edition published 201 2 by Routledge Routledge Toylor & Francis Group 71 1 Third Avenue N e w York, N Y 100 17 Routledge Toylor & Francis Group 2 Pork Square, Milton Pork Abingdon, Oxon 0 X 1 4 4RN First published 2002 under the title Essential Histories 36: The Greek and Persian Wars 499-386 BC by Osprey Publishing Ltd., Elms Court, Chapel Way, Botley, Oxford OX2 9LP 2003 Osprey Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. ISBN 0-415-96854-2 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data De Souza, Philip. The Greek and Persian Wars, 499-386 B.C. / Philip de Souza. p. cm. - (Essential Histories) Originally published: Oxford: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2002. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-415-96854-2 I. Greece-History-Persian Wars, 500-449 B.C. 2. Greece History-Spartan and Theban Supremacies, 404-362 B.C. I.Title. II. Series. DF225.D44 2003 938'.03 dc21 2003009684
Contents Introduction Chronology 7 8 Background to war The conning of the Persians 9 W arring sides Persia, Sparta and Athens 19 Outbreak Dareios sends an expedition to Greece 30 The fighting Xerxes invasion of Greece 40 Portrait of a soldier Aristodemos the Spartan 75 The world around war Persian Architecture 80 Portraits of civilians Demokedes and Demaratos 83 H ow the wars ended The Greeks attack the Persian Empire 88 Conclusion and consequences The Peloponnesian W ar Further reading Index 90 93 94
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Introduction Herodotus and the invention of history Part of the fascination of the Greek and Persian Wars lies in the fact that they had a great influence on the history of the western world. By preventing the Persians from conquering Greece, the Athenians, the Spartans and other Greeks made it possible for their own unique and highly influential culture to develop independently of Persian dominance. Equally important, however, is the fact that the events of the Persian Wars are recounted in one of the most important and influential works of Classical Greek literature, The Histories of Herodotus. Herodotus was born in the first half of the fifth century BC, in the Greek city of Halikarnassos, which was on the edge of the Persian Empire. He travelled extensively, collecting information from people about themselves and their ancestors. He was able to talk to many who had experienced the events themselves, or who had heard first-hand accounts from others who were involved. The Persian Wars are, therefore, the first wars for which there exists a detailed historical narrative written by someone who was able to obtain detailed and reliable information. Herodotus' account can to some extent be supplemented by some other sources, including later Greek and Latin writers and the official documents of Athens and Persia, but he is the most significant source. The idea of recording great achievements for posterity was not in itself a new one. Egyptian, Babylonian and Assyrian rulers had long been accustomed to setting up memorials to their own greatness, inscribing them with official versions of events. What makes Herodotus' work so special is that he sought to go beyond the mere collection of these records and to enquire into their origins and causes. He was consciously looking for explanations of the events. In this respect Herodotus can be seen as part of a much wider intellectual and cultural tradition of philosophical and scientific speculation and enquiry. There is also an element of learning from the events. Herodotus offers his readers his investigations into the origins and causes of the events he narrates, as well as his interpretations of their wider significance. He invites his readers to learn from his Histories, although some of his lessons can seem strange to a modern audience. This is how he introduces his account: These are the enquiries (the Greek word is 'histories') o f Herodotus o f Halikarnassos, which he sets down so that he can preserve the memory o f what these men have done, and ensure that the wondrous achievements o f the Greeks and Persians (he uses the Greek word barbaroi, meaning foreigners) do not lose their deserved fame, and also to record why they went to war with each other.