Salamis battle in the Greco-Persian War

One of the most striking events in history is the Salamis battle. Its date is distant 480 year BC. Just after King Leonid was defeated in the battle with the Persians, Xerxes moved his army to the very heart of Greece. No day of his campaigns could not do without the corpses that the Persian army left behind. The Persians wiped out all life from the earth, and one who refused to go over to their side was defeated. Dozens of burned villages, fields and the desecration of Greek shrines - this is what King Xerxes brought to their land. It was during this period that the Salamis battle took place.

Delivery of Athens

Finally, the Persians reached the heart - a city called Athens. Before they entered there, the Greek authorities conducted an early evacuation of the population, transferring women, children and the elderly to the island of Peloponnese. The rest took up arms and distributed to the army, who flew.

However, there were those who refused to leave their home. When they built the barricades on the Acropolis, they decided to give battle to the Persian army. But they were broken, not lasting a day. Athens fell, and the inhabitants of the city had no choice but to look at the burning city from the sides of the floating triremes. Naturally, the sailors did not want to be far from the city. On the contrary, they longed for an early reprisal against the Persians.

Themistocles

He was one of the figures of that time. Despite his simple origin (his mother was not even an Athenian), Themistocles graduated with honors in high school and ended up in the highest council, later becoming the father of the Athenian democracy.

Thanks to its reforms, Athens took off in its development to unprecedented heights. It was he who formed a powerful fleet, making impregnable borders and repelling the Persians on the day when the Salamis battle took place. The commander Themistocles, his tactics and cunning influenced the outcome of the battle. Only thanks to him 380 Greek trirevers were able to resist the enemy, whose fleet exceeded Athens almost threefold.

How was the battle

The battle in the Salamis Strait was due to the retreat of the Greek fleet. After making a halt, the generals began to discuss a further plan of action. Most saw the way out to swim to the island of Peloponnese and give battle there. This was due to the fact that the sailors of the damaged ships can swim freely to the land, where they will meet their own. This allowed to avoid the fate of being defeated or to be captured if you attack the Persians in the strait.

At this time the Persians gathered their entire fleet, landed a landing on the nearby islands and were ready to go to the Greeks. However, Themistocles challenged the idea of the majority, focusing on strategic superiority. The Persians did not know these waters and, in addition, moved on heavy ships, which prevented them from maneuvering the same way as the Greek trier. In addition, Themistocles also relied on information obtained from one of his associates. And it consisted in the fact that if the Greeks get to the land, they will scatter around the settlements, and again they will not get together again. This blocked all the cards to other generals. And after a short preparation, the Salamis battle began.

Themystock's trick

In order to win, it was necessary to divide the army of Xerxes. For this, Themistocles went to the next trick. At night, before the Salamis battle took place, the commander sends his faithful servant (the Persian by origin) with a message to King Xerxes himself that he, Themistocles, admires his greatness and wishes him a speedy victory over the Greek fleet. For which he says that this morning the fleet of Athenians leaves the strait in order to change positions to the more advantageous near the island of Peloponnese.

Ironically, Xerxes comes across this hook and sends a part of his fleet around the island in order to attack the Athenians on the other side, thus cutting off the possibility of retreat. The main forces he planned to hit the rear retreating enemy fleet.

The battle and its outcome

Imagine the surprise of the Persians, when instead of the numerous forages of the retreating ships they met the sails of the triremes and the fighting songs of the Greek sailors approaching them. Thus began the Salamis battle. The date of his official sources - September 28, 480 BC. Just two days before the full moon. The outcome of the battle was the defeat of the Persian fleet. On the night when the opponents dispersed in their positions, Xerxes ordered an urgent construction of a dam, which was intended to divert the eyes of the Athenians. He himself planned to leave Athens sooner, but left there for the winter one of his numerous infantry regiments.

Greek generals, inspired by such a victory, only wanted to direct their forces in order to inflict a second blow on the Persians, but here they were stopped by the sensed unhealthy Themistocles. According to him, if before they met only the barbarians who were conceited because of their conquests, now they can completely put themselves in order and act more sensibly. The best option, according to the commander, was to let Xerxes and his army go. Undoubtedly, the Salamis battle was a significant event for the Greeks, but this did not stop the war.