The First Persian War
- King Darius of Persia brought soldiers to invade Greece
- The Greeks defeated the Persians at the Battle of Marathon
- Darius went back home to gather more soldiers for a much bigger invasion, but died before he could attack Greece again
The Second Persian War
- Xerxes, son of Darius, launched a second invasion force against the Greeks
- The Persians were finally defeated after the battles of Salamis (a sea battle) and Plataea (a land battle)
O sons of the Greeks, go,
Liberate your country, liberate
Your children, your women, the seats of your fathers' gods,
And the tombs of your forebears: now is the struggle for all things.
After the Persian Wars
- Greek city-states remained free from Persian control and preserved their independence
- Athens, in particular, continued innovation in government and culture
- Greek victories over the Persians at Marathon and Salamis left Athens in control of the Aegean Sea
- Athens quickly came to dominate the Aegean, creating a political, military, and economic alliance called the Delian League
- The influence and power of Athens continued to rise, and would lead to the Peloponnesian War