Compare And Contrast Persian And Greek War

Who were the best commanders during the Persian War? The Persian and Greek War were a series of conflicts between the Persian Empire and Greek city-states. The war started in 499 BC and lasted until 449 BC. Although the Persian empire was at the peak of their power, the Greeks overcome seemingly impossible odds and even succeeded in liberating Greek city-states on the fringe of Persia itself. The Greek ensured the survival of Greek culture and political structures long after the Persian empire. In the Battle of Thermopylae, The Greeks put together a small force, led by the Spartan King Leonidas I and 300 Spartans. They decided to meet the Persians at a narrow pass in the mountains called Thermopylae. The Greeks held off the Persians killing

The Athenians and Plataea had a combined army of around eleven thousand men, versing a Persian army of about twenty five thousand infantry and one thousand cavalry. Even though the Greeks were at a disadvantage, Miltiades, the Greek commander used great military strategy to defeat the Persians. The Athenian strategy was to keep the Persian army pinned down at Marathon, blocking both exits from the plain, thus preventing themselves from being outmaneuvered. The Athenians had the more favourable position of the plain. The Athenian’s main plan was to stay defensive and wait for the allied Spartans to come and help. But Miltiades meet the Persians where their ships landed. From that point on, Miltiades decided the tactics. The Greek center would thin out to match the persian lines and make their wings stronger. Miltiades had all the knowledge about about the Persian fighting methods from his observations. He knew that the Persian centers were strong and wings weak so he made his centre weak and his wings strong, therefore, flanking the Persians and attacking them from all sides. Usually the hoplites marched in an unevenly distributed phalanx of shields and spears. But an advantage the Athenians had was superior armor. Another strategy Miltiades did was make use of the terrain. The swampy land and rocky hills basically neutralised the strongest arm of the Persian forces. This gave the Greeks a great advantage. Under Miltiades leadership, they voted to go and meet the Persians. Miltiades' plan to stretch his line across the length of the much larger Persian front. Miltiades weakened his center to draw the Persians into a trap which was then closed by the Greek left and right wings. When his men were in position he commanded they run as fast as they could across the plain and attack the Persians. When the Persians saw them coming, they only were aware of the weak center section racing madly across the beach.