The Persian Wars

In the 400s BCE, the Persian Empire tried to conquer Greece. The Greek city-states joined together to fight back. Despite being outnumbered, the Greeks won several important battles. The Persian Wars helped unite Greece and led to the Golden Age of Athens.

The Battle of Marathon

In 490 BCE, a Persian army landed at Marathon, near Athens. The Athenians were outnumbered but fought bravely and won a great victory. A messenger ran about 26 miles from Marathon to Athens to announce the victory. This run inspired the modern marathon race.

Thermopylae and Salamis

In 480 BCE, the Persians invaded again with a massive army. The Spartans made their famous stand at Thermopylae. Then the Greek navy defeated the Persian fleet at the Battle of Salamis. The Persians were driven out of Greece, and the Greek way of life was saved.

Fun Facts

• The marathon race is named after the Battle of Marathon and is 26.2 miles long.
• The Persian Empire had an army of hundreds of thousands of soldiers.
• The Greek victory at Salamis was won mainly because the Greeks knew the local waters better.

Did You Know?

The legend says the messenger Pheidippides ran from Marathon to Athens, shouted "We have won!" and then collapsed and died from exhaustion.