Battle of Salamis
The Battle of Salamis, fought in 480 BCE, was a crucial naval engagement during the Greco-Persian Wars. Following a series of confrontations, including the land battle of Thermopylae, the Greek fleet, led by Athenian statesman Themistocles, sought to confront the invading Persian forces in the strategic waters between Salamis Island and the mainland. Themistocles devised a clever strategy, misleading the Persian King Xerxes into believing that the Greeks were retreating, which prompted Xerxes to engage the Greek fleet, significantly larger in number at around 800 ships. However, the Greek fleet, numbering about 300 triremes, utilized superior seamanship and tactical positioning, allowing them to exploit the narrow channel's constraints to their advantage.
The battle concluded with a decisive Greek victory, as the Persian fleet struggled to maneuver in the confined waters and fell victim to coordinated Greek attacks. Following the defeat, Xerxes retreated and left his ground forces behind, which ultimately faced further setbacks at the Battle of Plataea. The outcome of Salamis not only marked a turning point in the war but also asserted the Athenian navy's dominance and laid the groundwork for future Greek resistance against Persian expansion. This pivotal moment in history highlights themes of strategy, leadership, and the significance of naval power in ancient warfare.
Battle of Salamis
Related civilizations: Classical Greece, Persia.
Date: probably September 23, 480 b.c.e.
Locale: Saronic Gulf in Greece
Background
In 490 b.c.e., King Darius the Great of Persia (r. 522-486 b.c.e.) invaded Greece at Marathon. He wanted to punish Athens for its support of his Ionian Greek subjects and at the same time expand his empire into Europe. The Athenians defeated the Persians, forcing them to withdraw. Darius was succeeded by his son Xerxes I (r. 486-465 b.c.e.), who invaded Greece with a large army in 480 b.c.e. Athenian statesman Themistocles used the ten-year interval between the two invasions to make his city the leading power in Greece.
After an inconclusive battle at Artemesium and a Persian land victory at Thermopylae, the Allied Greek fleet fell back to the vicinity of the Saronic Gulf. Themistocles wanted the Greeks to engage the Persians in the narrow channel between Salamis (SA-luh-muhs) Island and the mainland. If they did, superior Persian numbers would be neutralized.
Action
As a ruse, Themistocles sent Xerxes a secret message that the Greek fleet was going to retreat. Xerxes took the bait. The Persian fleet, numbering about eight hundred triremes, was composed of subject peoples such as the Phoenicians. The Greek fleet had some three hundred triremes, the bulk coming from Athens. Superior Greek—especially Athenian—seamanship won the day. The Persian fleet was barely able to maneuver and was easy prey. A surprise flank attack by (Greek) Aeginetans and Megarans completed the victory.
Consequences
Xerxes retreated, abandoning the gains won to that point. The Persian king went home, leaving his army with Mardonius. Mardonius suffered a major defeat at Plataea, ending the Persian invasion.
Bibliography
Meier, Christian. Athens: A Portrait of the City in Its Golden Age. Translated by Robert Kimber and Rita Kimber. New York: Metropolitan Books, 1998.
Warry, John. Warfare in the Classical World. London: Salamander Books, 1980.