The Persians, after four days, were convinced that the Greeks were
not frightened and commenced to attack on the fifth day. During the
first two days of the attack, the Persian suffered massive losses,
while the Greeks under Leonidas, protected by their fortification,
suffered very light casualties.
On the morning of the
third day however, a Greek traitor showed Xerxes a hidden path across
the mountains, through which he could cross over them, in order to
flank the Greek forces. Xerxes, finding himself effectively stopped by
the Greek fortifications and fierce combat, having already suffered
very heavy losses, decided to take the chance of the alternative route.
By the afternoon, Leonidas saw the Persians descending the mountain.
Leonidas, a great warrior of quick resolve and undisputed courage, saw
at once that the Persians would surround his forces. Deciding that he
wanted to spare them to fight another day, he ordered their immediate
retreat, before it was too late. He explained that he and his 300
Spartans would remain, due to a Spartan law, which forbade a Spartan
soldier to retreat before an enemy. Nobly, the 700 Thespians decided to
remain with the Spartans. The rest left the field of battle.
These
brave thousand men stood their ground and fought fiercely to the last
man. In the end, they were all massacred, but in the process, they
inflicted spectacular losses on the Persian army.
While the
Battle of Thermopile was taking place, the Greek fleet moved to the
Artemisium Straight, to prevent the Persian fleet to move farther into
Greece. They fought the Persians, without great success on either side.
Then, a storm arose which destroyed 200 Persian vessels. When
Thermopile fell, the Greek fleet moved to the Salamis Straight, to
defend the approach to Athens.
The Athenians, prepared by
Themistocles for this eventuality, knew that they would be unable to
defend Athens against the Persian Army. According to the preconceived
plan, every Athenian, including women and children, picked up as much
as they could carry and went to the seashore. Only a few renegades
refused to leave and fortified themselves in the Acropolis.
The Athenians boarded their ships, which took them to Salamis and adjacent islands.
When
Xirxes reached Athens, he found a deserted city, except for the few
renegades at the Acropolis, which he killed, while destroying and
burning the Acropolis and every other religious building.
Ships
from other Greek cities joined the Athenians at Salamis. There was some
dissention. Some wanted to attack the approaching Persian fleet,
consisting of 1,000 vessels; others wanted to retreat immediately.
Luckily, the majority followed the leadership of Themistocles. The
cunning Themistocles, knew that a retreat would be disastrous, but let
the information leak that they were preparing to do so. Consequently,
the Persians sent 200 vessels to cut off their escape route.
Xirxes
had a throne built on the shore, so that he could watch the coming
naval combat. When he was ready, he gave the signal and immediately,
all the oars in the remaining 800 Persian ships began to row furiously.
Here at the Salamis Straight however, the way was narrow and it was
thus impossible for the mighty Persian fleet to attack at unison.
It
becomes necessary to point out that naval warfare, in these
oar-propelled vessels, as later in the wind-driven ones, all the way
until the Battle of the English against the Invincible Armada of Spain
in 1588, when the broadside pass was used for the first time in
recorded history, naval warfare consisted in approaching or ramming the
enemy vessel, latching on to it, boarding and fighting hand-to hand,
while the defenders went to the bow or stern castles and defended them,
much as if they were land castles. We have already pointed out that the
Greeks far excelled in hand-to-hand combat over the Persians. The
narrow Straight of Salamis prevented the Persians from using their
superiority in the number of vessels to their advantage.
A
horrified Xerxes saw how 200 of his best ships were sunk or captured;
many more seriously damaged. It must have been with a sinking heart the
he order the withdrawal of his remaining naval forces, fearing for
their destruction, since the Greeks had suffered little damage in the
naval battle. He was also worried about his bridge over the Hellespont
and ordered his remaining ships there to protect it.
Themistocles
remained at his post, at anchor. He was ready to renew the battle in
the morning. With surprise, he watched as the Persian's vessels
retreated. Soon, he noticed that the ground forces were leaving as
well. Their retreat was in fact, precipitous.
The Persian
forces that returned through the bridge made of boats, back from Greece
to Asia, was but a shadow of the proud force that only a few months
before, had crossed west to conquer Europe. They had suffered
tremendous losses in combat but in addition, thousands had died from
disease and famine.
However, Xerxes had not given up. Although
he retreated with most of his forces, he left his best General,
Mardonius and 300,000 troops to finish the conquest of the land.
not frightened and commenced to attack on the fifth day. During the
first two days of the attack, the Persian suffered massive losses,
while the Greeks under Leonidas, protected by their fortification,
suffered very light casualties.
On the morning of the
third day however, a Greek traitor showed Xerxes a hidden path across
the mountains, through which he could cross over them, in order to
flank the Greek forces. Xerxes, finding himself effectively stopped by
the Greek fortifications and fierce combat, having already suffered
very heavy losses, decided to take the chance of the alternative route.
By the afternoon, Leonidas saw the Persians descending the mountain.
Leonidas, a great warrior of quick resolve and undisputed courage, saw
at once that the Persians would surround his forces. Deciding that he
wanted to spare them to fight another day, he ordered their immediate
retreat, before it was too late. He explained that he and his 300
Spartans would remain, due to a Spartan law, which forbade a Spartan
soldier to retreat before an enemy. Nobly, the 700 Thespians decided to
remain with the Spartans. The rest left the field of battle.
These
brave thousand men stood their ground and fought fiercely to the last
man. In the end, they were all massacred, but in the process, they
inflicted spectacular losses on the Persian army.
While the
Battle of Thermopile was taking place, the Greek fleet moved to the
Artemisium Straight, to prevent the Persian fleet to move farther into
Greece. They fought the Persians, without great success on either side.
Then, a storm arose which destroyed 200 Persian vessels. When
Thermopile fell, the Greek fleet moved to the Salamis Straight, to
defend the approach to Athens.
The Athenians, prepared by
Themistocles for this eventuality, knew that they would be unable to
defend Athens against the Persian Army. According to the preconceived
plan, every Athenian, including women and children, picked up as much
as they could carry and went to the seashore. Only a few renegades
refused to leave and fortified themselves in the Acropolis.
The Athenians boarded their ships, which took them to Salamis and adjacent islands.
When
Xirxes reached Athens, he found a deserted city, except for the few
renegades at the Acropolis, which he killed, while destroying and
burning the Acropolis and every other religious building.
Ships
from other Greek cities joined the Athenians at Salamis. There was some
dissention. Some wanted to attack the approaching Persian fleet,
consisting of 1,000 vessels; others wanted to retreat immediately.
Luckily, the majority followed the leadership of Themistocles. The
cunning Themistocles, knew that a retreat would be disastrous, but let
the information leak that they were preparing to do so. Consequently,
the Persians sent 200 vessels to cut off their escape route.
Xirxes
had a throne built on the shore, so that he could watch the coming
naval combat. When he was ready, he gave the signal and immediately,
all the oars in the remaining 800 Persian ships began to row furiously.
Here at the Salamis Straight however, the way was narrow and it was
thus impossible for the mighty Persian fleet to attack at unison.
It
becomes necessary to point out that naval warfare, in these
oar-propelled vessels, as later in the wind-driven ones, all the way
until the Battle of the English against the Invincible Armada of Spain
in 1588, when the broadside pass was used for the first time in
recorded history, naval warfare consisted in approaching or ramming the
enemy vessel, latching on to it, boarding and fighting hand-to hand,
while the defenders went to the bow or stern castles and defended them,
much as if they were land castles. We have already pointed out that the
Greeks far excelled in hand-to-hand combat over the Persians. The
narrow Straight of Salamis prevented the Persians from using their
superiority in the number of vessels to their advantage.
A
horrified Xerxes saw how 200 of his best ships were sunk or captured;
many more seriously damaged. It must have been with a sinking heart the
he order the withdrawal of his remaining naval forces, fearing for
their destruction, since the Greeks had suffered little damage in the
naval battle. He was also worried about his bridge over the Hellespont
and ordered his remaining ships there to protect it.
Themistocles
remained at his post, at anchor. He was ready to renew the battle in
the morning. With surprise, he watched as the Persian's vessels
retreated. Soon, he noticed that the ground forces were leaving as
well. Their retreat was in fact, precipitous.
The Persian
forces that returned through the bridge made of boats, back from Greece
to Asia, was but a shadow of the proud force that only a few months
before, had crossed west to conquer Europe. They had suffered
tremendous losses in combat but in addition, thousands had died from
disease and famine.
However, Xerxes had not given up. Although
he retreated with most of his forces, he left his best General,
Mardonius and 300,000 troops to finish the conquest of the land.
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