Movie Magic versus real life: the greco-persian wars

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Movie Magic versus real life the greco-persian
wars
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Persian Empire Map
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Real Life Persians Shields made of Wicker
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Movie Persians The Immortals
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Bronze Helmet of Corinth 500 B.C.E.
Real Life Greeks Armor made of bronze Hoplites
Heavily armed infantryman of ancient Greece
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Movie Greeks No breast plates or thigh
protection
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War with Persia

• Revolt of Greek colonists in Asia Minor prompted
  Persian attack on Athens
• Battle of Marathon 10,000 man Greek army defeats
  48,000 man Persian army (490 B.C.E.)
• Greek key was hoplite soldiers organized into
  tightly-knit phalanxes, symbolic of citizen unity
  of city-state

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Greek Phalanx
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Thermopylae and Beyond

• Xerxes, son of Darius, tried to defeat Greeks
• Battle of Thermopylae, 480 B.C.E.
• Narrow pass bounded by mountains on one side and
  the sea on the other. 
• 300,000 Persians V. 300 Spartans and 7,000ish
  Greeks in total
• All of the Spartans died (along with 1100 other
  Greeks who stayed to fight)
• Athenians evacuated their city regrouped
• Greek Victory at Battle of Salamis, 480 BCE plus
  persistence in face of Persian pressure insured
  victory
• Greek motivation offset power of Persians who
  were overextending their powers

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Map of Persian Wars from 490 to 479 BCE
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Hot Gates
Secret Pass No One Knew of...
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Suprise Attack!
Defeat!
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Mountain pass in Thermopylae, Greece
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Resources

• "Map of Persian Wars from 490 to 479 BC." Image.
  World History Ancient and Medieval Eras.
  ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 23 Sept. 2012.
• "The Persian Empire (Visual)." World History
  Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web.
  23 Sept. 2012.