Persian War Timeline

Battle of Marathon

490 BCE

The Battle of Marathon was fought in the plains of Marathon in Greece. This was the first of many battles between the Greeks and Persians. For days, the Athenians stalled, waiting for Spartan reinforcements. Eventually, they had to move forward and begin the battle, knowing they were severely outnumbered. The Persian's tactic failed, and the Athenians won the battle. There were over 6,400 Persian casualties, the Athenians only lost 192 soldiers.

Battle of Artemisium

480 BCE

The Battle of Atemisium was a naval battle fought near Cape Artemisium. The Greeks defended Cape Artemisium for three days, before pulling back when they learned of the defeat at Thermopylae.

Battle of Thermopylae

480 BCE

The Battle of Thermopylae happened at the mountain pass of Thermopylae in 480 BCE. The Greek forces, mostly Spartans, were able to hold off the Persians for three days. However, they were betrayed, and the Persians won the battle.

Battle of Salamis

480 BCE

The Battle of Salamis was a naval battle fought between the island of Salamis and the port city of Piraeus. The Greek commander, Themistocles, was vastly outnumbered by the Persians. Even with only 370 ships, he was able to win the battle. He led the Persians into narrow waters, where the 800 Persian ships had difficulty maneuvering. The Greek ships then began ramming and sinking the trapped Persian ships. The remaining Persians scattered, and the attack was called off.

Battle of Plataea

479 BCE

After the Greeks beat them in the ocean at the Battle of Salamis, King Xerxes, and his army, the Persians, retreated out of Greece. One of his generals, Mardonius, stayed in Greece to fight them one last time. The Greeks tried to spread out and attack them, but this was unsuccessful. The Persians saw this as a chance to attack and charged the Greeks. The Greek infantry fended off the Persians and eventually killed Mardonius. The rest of the Persians then fled Greece.