Who led the Spartan army in the Battle of Plataea?
Marching in pursuit, the Spartan army, led by Pausanias, was augmented by a large hoplite force from Athens commanded by Aristides as well as forces from the other allied cities. Moving through the passes of Mount Kithairon, Pausanias formed the combined army on high ground to the east of Plataea.
Did the Greeks win the Battle of Plataea?
Despite all odds, the Greeks had won. Just as the Battle of Salamis was a definitive turning point to the Persian Invasion of 480, the Battle of Plataea was an effective end of it. After one small battle at Mycale, it was without a doubt: the Persians Invasion had been defied by the forces of Allied Greece.
Who led the Athenian contingent at the Battle of Thermopylae?
The Greek forces were, as agreed by the Allied congress, under the overall command of Spartan royalty in the person of Pausanias, who was the regent for Leonidas' young son, Pleistarchus, his cousin. Diodorus tells us that the Athenian contingent was under the command of Aristides; it is probable that the other contingents also had their leaders.
What happened at the Battle of Plataea 479 BC?
Battle of Plataea, (July 479 bce ). Following the Greek naval success at the Battle of Salamis in 480 bce, Persian King Xerxes left Greece with much of his army. However, his general, Mardonius, remained in northern Greece to continue the fight. The war’s deciding encounter at Plataea the next summer proved to be a crushing Greek victory.
Who was the leader of Greece during the battle of Plataea?
Pausanias Arimnestos AmompharetusThe Battle of Plataea was the final land battle during the second Persian invasion of Greece....Battle of PlataeaGreek city-statesAchaemenid EmpireCommanders and leadersPausanias Arimnestos Amompharetus † AristidesMardonius † Masistius † ArtabazosStrength8 more rows
Who started the battle of Plataea?
Once in position, the two armies waited with each side remaining in their preferred terrain: the Persians on the plain and the Greeks in the broken terrain near the hills. After two days of a stand-off, the Battle of Plataea began with Mardonius sending in his cavalry to attack the side of the Megarians and Athenians.
Who was involved in the Plataea war?
It was a decisive victory for the Greeks as it ended that war. The battle was in 479 BC near the city of Plataea in Boeotia. It was fought between the Greek allies (the city-states, of Sparta, Athens, Corinth and Megara), and the Persian Empire of Xerxes I.
What Greek leader conquered the Persian Empire?
AlexanderIn 334 B.C., Alexander set out to conquer the Persian Empire, which had waned in power but remained a behemoth. Alexander's army numbered fewer than 40,000 men, mostly Macedonian and fiercely loyal.
Who led the Greek navy at artemisium?
Approaching Artemisium towards the end of summer, the Persian navy was caught in a gale off the coast of Magnesia and lost around a third of their 1200 ships....Battle of ArtemisiumGreek city-statesPersian EmpireCommanders and leadersEurybiades Themistocles AdeimantusAchaemenes Ariabignes Artemisia I Damasithymos9 more rows
What was the oath of the Battle of Plataea?
…the oath, sworn before the Battle of Plataea in 479 bce, that sanctuaries destroyed by the barbarians would not be rebuilt but left as memorials of their impiety.
Who was the Persian king who left Greece?
(Show more) ... (Show more) Battle of Plataea, (July 479 bce ). Following the Greek naval success at the Battle of Salamis in 480 bce, Persian King Xerxes left Greece with much of his army. However, his general, Mardonius, remained in northern Greece to continue the fight.
Where did Mardonius establish his base?
After initial maneuvers, Mardonius established a base at Plataea in the territory of Persia’s ally, Thebes. The Greek army, under the Spartan Pausanius, assembled on hills near the Persian camp to confront them.
Who was the Persian general who ruled Attica after the Battle of Salamis?
The army of the Great King, however, remained in Attica, under the control of Persian General Mardonius. [1]
What happened to the Persians after Mardonius' death?
After his death, the Persians quickly dropped back in the right wing, and then collapsed. When the Boeotians fighting the Athenians in the left wing, they surrendered.
When was the Battle of Plataea?
The Battle of Plataea believed to have been fought in August 479 BC, during the Persian Wars (499 BC-449 BC).
What battle did the Greeks win?
Around the time of Plataea, the Greek fleet won a decisive victory over the Persians at the Battle of Mycale. Combined, these two victories ended the second Persian invasion of Greece and marked a turn in the conflict. With the invasion threat lifted, the Greeks began offensive operations in Asia Minor.
How many Persians survived the Battle of Plataea?
Depending on the source, Greek losses may have ranged from 159 to 10,000. The Greek historian Herodotus claimed that only 43,000 Persians survived the battle. While Artabazus' men retreated back to Asia, the Greek army began efforts to capture Thebes as punishment for joining with the Persians. Around the time of Plataea, the Greek fleet won a decisive victory over the Persians at the Battle of Mycale. Combined, these two victories ended the second Persian invasion of Greece and marked a turn in the conflict. With the invasion threat lifted, the Greeks began offensive operations in Asia Minor.
What was the purpose of the movement of the Athenians?
The movement was intended to be completed in the darkness as to prevent an attack. This goal was missed and dawn found the three segments of the Greek line scattered and out of position. Realizing the danger, Pausanias instructed the Athenians to join with his Spartans, however, this failed to occur when the former kept moving toward Plataea. In the Persian camp, Mardonius was surprised to find the heights empty and soon saw the Greeks withdrawing. Believing the enemy to be in full retreat, he gathered several of his elite infantry units and began pursuing. Without orders, the bulk of the Persian army also followed ( Map ).
What was Mardonius surprised to find?
In the Persian camp, Mardonius was surprised to find the heights empty and soon saw the Greeks withdrawing. Believing the enemy to be in full retreat, he gathered several of his elite infantry units and began pursuing. Without orders, the bulk of the Persian army also followed ( Map ).
What was Mardonius' goal in the Battle of Athens?
Alerted to the Spartan efforts, Mardonius effectively destroyed Athens before withdrawing towards Thebes with the goal of finding suitable terrain to employ his advantage in cavalry. Nearing Plataea, he established a fortified camp on the north bank of the Asopus River.
Why did Athens demand an Allied army?
As Athens was not protected by the defenses on the isthmus, Athens demanded that an Allied army be sent north in 479 to deal with the Persian threat. This was met with reluctance by Athens' allies, despite the fact that the Athenian fleet was required to prevent Persian landings on the Peloponnesus.
Where did the Persians fight the Greeks?
The final land battle between the Persians and the Greeks took place a year later in the region of Boeotia, near the town of Plataeae. During the intervening year the Persian force, now led by the satrap Mardonius, had attempted to forge an alliance with Athens against Sparta.
How many Persians did Herodotus defeat?
Herodotus claims their Persian opponents numbered 1.7 million, which is undoubtedly one of his wilder exaggerations: in reality they probably numbered about the same size. The battle itself was actually a series of battles.
What happened to the satrap in Athens?
When his terms were rudely rejected the satrap briefly occupied Athens for a second time, completely destroying an already ruined city. Then news reached him of an advancing Spartan army, forcing him to take to the field. Both sides had amassed huge armies.
Greeks Assemble Allied Army to Kick Out Persians
The Persian Forces at Plataea
Battle Strategies
- The Persian general, Mardonius, was confident that the outnumbered Greeks were easy prey for his vast army and were potentially divided. Persian warfare favored long-range assault using archers followed up with a cavalry charge while Greek warfare was based on heavily-armored hoplites fighting in tight formation at least eight men deep, called the phalanx. Each hoplite carri…
The Battle of Plataea
- The Greek forces moved into position, forming a 7 km (4.3 miles) long front just 3-4 km opposite the Persians below the low hills of Cithaeron. Mardonius lined up his army with the Persians holding the right flank, and the Medes and the Bactrians, Indians, and Sacae in the center. On the left flank, he lined up the pro-Persian Greeks. The cavalry forces waited slightly back, one group …
Aristodemus Redeems Himself in Plataea
- Among the victorious Greeks, there was one Spartan hoplite, Aristodemus, who had survived the Battle of Thernmopylae. He did not die alongside King Leonidas and his brave 300 Spartans. His returning to Sparta alive while all his fellow warriors were killed in battle was the ultimate act of treason for Spartans. The coward was not punished, but he w...
Aftermath
- Although the Battle of Plataea was in every sense a decisive victory, it has not been attributed the same significance as the victory at the Battle of Marathon, the victory in Salamis, or even the Allied heroic defeat at Thermopylae. With the Plataea victory, the Greeks had sent a message to Xerxes that Greece would not allow herself to be subjugated to any foreign invader. The victorie…