The Persian Wars (492 - 449 B.C.) were fought on land and sea. The Battle of Salamis was a decisive naval battle that followed the Battle of Thermopylae -- the one where the 300 Spartans and allies made a brave, but hopeless stand against the far superior forces of the Persians. After Thermopylae, the Persian forces destroyed Athens. But by the time the Persians arrived, Athens had been evacuated and the Greek military leaders were preparing to meet the Persians at Salamis.
Among the naval commanders of the Persian allied forces was one of the famous queens of ancient history, Artemisia of Halicarnassus. This Queen Artemisia should not be confused with another queen of the same name responsible for a mausoleum for her dead husband, which was one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World.
In 479 B.C., Themistocles (c. 514-449 B.C.), an Athenian statesman, stationed the Athenian fleet at Salamis, feigned retreat, and lured the navy of the Persians into the narrow strait at Salamis, so that the Greek ships could ram the vessels of the Persian and allies. Themistocles' plan worked. The allied forces of the Persians were defeated and retreated.
The Battle of Salamis was a turning point in the Persian War and showed the naval supremacy of Athens.
Read
- The Year of the Salamis, 480-479 B.C.: The Greco-Persian Wars, by Peter Green
- The Battle of Salamis : The Naval Encounter That Saved Greece, by Barry Strauss
Persian War Resources
Major Events in Greek History Timeline
Persian Wars Timeline
Delian League
Major Events in Greek History Timeline
Ionian Greeks
Homeric Geography - Greek Migrations
Croesus of Lydia
www-adm.pdx.edu/user/sinq/greekciv2/war/perwar2/salamis.htm (Battle of Salamis)
Delian League
