An even angrier Darius began planning another attack on Athens. His strategy now was to send MORE troops than the 20,000 he sent the first time. Before he can launch his attack, Darius died. His son, Xerxes, became ruler. Xerxes continues with his father’s plan. He prepares an army 12 TIMES larger than the one sent to Marathon – 250,000 Persian troops.
The Athenians expect another Persian attack and they are preparing. General Themistocles wants to increase the size of the Athenian navy but shipbuilding is expensive.
The Athenians however get lucky, a group of slave miners discover a massive silver mine. This would provide all the $$ needed for the ships. Hundreds of triremes will be built. In 480 BC, King Xerxes launches a LAND and SEA attack against Greece. To get his land troops to Greece, old ships are strung together and the Persians march across the Dardanelles Strait (known as the Hellespont then) and move into northern Greece.
Just like at Marathon, the Greeks planned a battle in which they could use their geography to their advantage. They met the Persians at a NARROW pass called Thermopylae. Spartan King Leonidas, was in charge of the Greek troops. There were 7,000 Greek troops in total who were led by 300 Spartans.
Xerxes sends heralds to Athens and Sparta demanding they give up. The Athenians throw the herald off the Acropolis and the Spartans throw the herald down a well.
The 2 armies met in the NARROW Thermopylae pass. The Persian numerical advantage was limited because they could only fit a small amount of soldiers in the pass to fight at one time.
The Greeks put up a brave fight during the 3 day battle but they knew they could not win. In addition to being outnumbered, there was also a spy who informed the Persians of a goat path that would allow them to come in behind the Greeks.
Most Greek troops started to retreat in an effort to get back and defend Athens. The 300 Spartans remained behind to slow the Persians down. Their efforts bought enough time so that Athens could be evacuated. When the Persians arrive in Athens, it is deserted. They burn Athens to the ground.
Themistocles’ planning then paid off. Just 10 miles west of Athens near the island of Salamis, 300 Athenian triremes battled 500 Persian ships. Luring the Persians into the NARROW Bay of Salamis, the more maneuverable Greek triremes easily defeated the larger Persian navy. Over 200 Persian ships were destroyed while the Greeks ONLY lost 40 ships. The Persians retreated and never attacked Greece again.