Ionian Greeks example essay topic

Significance of the Ionian revolt as a result of the Persian wars. The Ionian revolt which began in 499 BC was to be the beginning of a chain of events that changed the ancient world and brought Greece and Persia at war. Ionian revolted to gain independence from both suppressing systems, the Persian Empire and tyranny. Ionia was the name of a region in Asia Minor in which many Greek colonies had been founded and the Greek culture established.

Croesus king of Lydia conquered Ionia only to be overthrown by the Persian king, Cyrus in 547 BC. Under the rule of the Persians, the Ionian Greeks had to pay annual tributes and participate in Persian military campaigns. Local tyrants appointed by the Persians were set up as rulers of the Ionian cities. Aristagoras, the tyrant of Miletus, eager to increase his wealth and power and to ingratiate himself with the Persians, convinced the Persians that they should attack Naxos. Aristagoras sided with the aristocrats from Naxos who were keen to regain control over the island.

The Persians were interested in being involved in this campaign because Naxos had a high strategic value in their expansions plans. The failure of the Na xian expedition, and the quarrelling between Aristagoras and the Persian general put him in a dangerous position. The only way to save his position was to start a revolt. It was Aristagoras' personal will and power that started the revolt but also the Ionian desire of freedom, political reforms and economic prosperity which continued it for six years. The Ionians called for help from mainland Greece but only Athens and Eretria responded. Athens sent twenty ships and Eretria sent four.

Sparta was reluctant to make commitments far from home. The aid from mainland Greece was not enough as the several cities and islands of Ionia had to fight against endless resources of the Persian Empire. The Ionians were eventually suppressed in 494 BC. Another reason for the failure of the Ionians was their lack of organisation and discipline where they fought not as a common unity but as a group of states all with their individual interests. Darius, the king of Persia now wanted vengeance.

When he was told that the Athenians had helped the Ionians to burn Sardis, capital on one part of the Empire in 496 BC, he supposedly said, "Who are they?" and had a slave tell him three times a day "Remember the Athenians". After the failed attempt to reconquer Thrace and Macedon in preparation for an attack on Athens, in 490 BC, the Persians reached Euboea and Eretria was the first to be attacked. The city was sacked and burned. Their next stop was Marathon. Hippias a former tyrant of Athens had suggested landing here.

Here the Persians would suffer defeat. The Athenians attacked with strong wings and a comparatively weak centre succeeding in taking the enemy by surprise and resulting in victory. This victory earned the Athenians prestige in the Greek world and boosted the reputation of the democracy. The myth of Persian invincibility was broken.

The Persians had not given up and further campaigns to conquer Greece had been failures. Even though the Greeks had suffered losses, especially at the battle of Thermopylae where Greek troops had showed remarkable self - sacrifice in delaying the Persians. The battle of Salamis and Platea were to result in further victories for the Greeks.