The Greek Polies: The Greco-Persian Wars

Through mythology and their histories, it is clear that the Greek polies (city states) seemingly did not see themselves as peaceful. Rather they strived to stretch their region and riches through warfare. Sacks and Murray (2009) says the “Greeks tended to think of war as a manly and consensual contest of strength.” And, for the Greeks, warring was second nature. Whether it was straightforward border security or the polis (city state) attempting to spread their influence and through analysing their mythos (myths) we can perceive how the subjects of war reflect the society. These recounting mythos gives the premise of a basic framework for the Greeks, which reflects their threats and the idea of war. Greek mythos was recorded by Hesiod and Homer

The Greco-Persian wars have elements of both territorial expanding and border security. Sacks and Murray (2009) tell us that the “Greeks and Persians were in intermittent conflict for over 200 years” and “the term Persian Wars refers mainly to the campaigns of 490 and 480–479 B.C.E.” therefore in this essay I will be focusing on the battle of marathon 490 B.C.E. which Sacks and Murray (2009) says that “the Greeks, a relatively small and disunified nation, unexpectedly defeated the greatest empire on earth.” Herodotus writes the description of the battle and due to Herodotus being Greek himself, there is a likely huge bias view and prejudiced truths. Athens polis was being threatened by the Persians, more so King Darius of Persia who wanted to attack Athens to expand his rule. Herodotus says the army consisted of about 20,000 to 60,000 men. Athens, without the requested help from Sparta had to rely on the Greek commander in charge, Miltiades whose army consisted of about 11,000 people . The Greek hoplites were “far superior” to Persian for a hand-to-hand fight. The Greeks “maintained their formation” and when the Persians counterattacked they “retreated in order”. About 6400 Persians were died compared to 192 Athenians. As the patriotic Greek alliances of 480 B.C.E. dissolve into the Peloponnesian war (431–404 B.C.E.), Persia

in theatre, philosophy and the development of a true democracy, which were products of a confidence or arrogance adopted from the victory. Which planted the seed to the Peloponnesian war, a perfect example of territorial expansion. Walling (2013) “Athens wanted to expand its territory and Sparta wanted to dismantle Athens's democratic regime.” Thucydides, a Greek Athenian historian living at the time of the Peloponnesian war, says that “The real cause I consider to be the one which was formally most kept out of sight. The growth of the power of Athens, and the alarm which this inspired in Lacedaemon, made war inevitable." (Thucydides. and Crawley, 2004). Kagan (2004) says that “Athens broke off the alliance with Sparta and allied, instead, with Sparta's enemy, Argos” which began the Peloponnesian war. But there was, what some scholars would call, a ‘first Peloponnesian war’ where a fight between Athens and Sparta first broke out, but had agreed to a truce called the Thirty Years Treaty. The events that led to renewed hostilities began in 433, when Athens allied itself with Corcyra, a strategically important colony of Corinth. Fighting ensued, and the Athenians then took steps that explicitly violated the Thirty Years Treaty. Sparta and its allies accused Athens of