[42], Herodotus reports that there were 378 triremes in the Allied fleet, and then breaks the numbers down by city state (as indicated in the table). However, he writes that the next year, the Persian fleet numbered 300 triremes. The Greek victory in the battle followed by their winning the war was the reason why this ancient civilization would not become part of the Persian Empire.

[96][100] Moreover, it would have become apparent that, far from disintegrating, the Greek fleet was lined up, ready to attack them. And when the sun set where were they?

The Persians made no further attempts to conquer the Greek mainland. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. At the indecisive naval battle of Artemision (also in August 480 BCE), the Greeks held off the superior numbers of the Persian fleet but were obliged to regroup at Salamis. The Greeks had recently lost the Battle of Thermopylae and drawn the naval Battle at Artemision, both in August 480 BCE, as King Xerxes I (r. 486-465 BCE) and his Persian army went on the rampage. [18], The Athenians had also been preparing for war with the Persians since the mid-480s BC, and in 482 BC the decision was taken, under the guidance of the Athenian politician Themistocles, to build a massive fleet of triremes that would be necessary for the Greeks to fight the Persians. [38] This alleged rift amongst the Allies may have simply been a ruse, in order to lure the Persians to battle. [100] Triremes were generally armed with a large ram at the front, with which it was possible to sink an enemy ship, or at least disable it by shearing off the banks of oars on one side. [89] The most common naval tactics in the Mediterranean area at the time were ramming (triremes being equipped with a ram at the bows), or boarding by ship-borne marines (which essentially turned a sea battle into a land one). Then the armed soldiers on board would have come into their own with hoplites and archers fighting on the decks much as in a land battle. [42], According to Herodotus, the Allies spent the evening heatedly debating their course of action.
By 480 the Persian king Xerxes and his army had overrun much of Greece, and his navy of about 800 galleys bottled up the smaller Greek fleet of about 370 triremes in the Saronic Gulf. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). [86], The Persians were at a significant tactical advantage, outnumbering the Allies, and also having "better sailing" ships. [40] Themistocles claimed that the Allied command was in-fighting, that the Peloponnesians were planning to evacuate that very night, and that to gain victory all the Persians needed to do was to block the straits. It is important to note that despite the inexperienced crew on part of the Athenians, these newly constructed triremes would ultimately prove crucial in the forthcoming conflict with Persia. Accounting for losses incurred in the manner described above it is estimated that perhaps around 500 triremes faced the Greeks at Salamis but there is no scholarly consensus on even an approximate figure. https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Salamis, Ancient History Encyclopedia - Battle of Salamis, battle of Salamis - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). The vast Persian Empire stretched from the Danube to Egypt and from Ionia to Bactria, and Xerxes was able to draw on a huge reserve of resources to amass a huge invasion force. https://www.ancient.eu/Battle_of_Salamis/. [47][104] If the Persians only entered the straits at dawn, then the Allies would have had the time to take up their station in a more orderly fashion.[100]. At the ensuing Battle of Marathon, the Athenians won a remarkable victory, which resulted in the withdrawal of the Persian army to Asia. Xerxes had obviously not anticipated such resistance, or he would have arrived earlier in the campaigning season (and not waited 4 days at Thermopylae for the Greeks to disperse). It is for me, however, to enslave and deliver Hellas to you with three hundred thousand of your host whom I will choose. [137] This view is based on the premise that much of modern Western society, such as philosophy, science, personal freedom and democracy are rooted in the legacy of Ancient Greece. [27] The simultaneous Battle of Artemisium was up to that point a stalemate;[28] however, when news of Thermopylae reached them, the Allied fleet also retreated, since holding the straits of Artemisium was now a moot point.

Cartwright, Mark. The next objective was to quell once and for all the collection of potentially troublesome rebel states on the western border of the Empire. [106] If this did in fact occur, one possible interpretation is that these ships had been a decoy sent to reconnoitre the northern exit from the straits, in case the arrival of the encircling Egyptian detachment was imminent (if indeed this also occurred). So the Greeks retreated.

[40] It was only when Aristides, the exiled Athenian general arrived that night, followed by some deserters from the Persians, with news of the deployment of the Persian fleet,[45][46] that the Peloponnesians accepted that they could not escape, and so would fight.

The Allies prepared to defend the Isthmus of Corinth while the fleet was withdrawn to nearby Salamis Island. [115], Herodotus recounts that Artemisia, the Queen of Halicarnassus, and commander of the Carian contingent, found herself pursued by the ship of Ameinias of Pallene. [29], The Allied fleet now rowed from Artemisium to Salamis to assist with the final evacuation of Athens. [103] If Xerxes wanted to trap the Allies completely, this maneuver would have made sense (especially if he was not expecting the Allies to fight). [42] For the Greeks, the only realistic hope of a decisive victory was to draw the Persians into a constricted area, where their numbers would count for little. [81] Conversely, the Greeks sought to make the best use of their numbers by defending restricted locations and to keep the Persians in the field for as long as possible. [47], However, the Peloponnesians may have been party to Themistocles's stratagem, so serenely did they accept that they would now have to fight at Salamis.
Herodotus VIII, 84; Macaulay translation cf.

Our latest articles delivered to your inbox, once a week: Our mission is to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. The Battle of Salamis: The Naval Encounter that Saved Greece -- and... Persian Fire: The First World Empire and the Battle for the West, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. In the cramped conditions of the Straits, the great Persian numbers were an active hindrance, as ships struggled to maneuver and became disorganized. [122] The remaining Persian ships limped back to the harbour of Phalerum and the shelter of the Persian army. [72][73] Ctesias gives another number, 1,000 ships,[54] while Plato, speaking in general terms refers to 1,000 ships and more. This battle was the Battle of Salamis, a battle that took politics to conjure up support for and was pivotal in the changes of fortunes for one side engaged in the battle. Burn, A. R. (1985). The Greek commander, Themistocles, then lured the Persian fleet into the narrow waters of the strait at Salamis, where the massed Persian ships had difficulty maneuvering. Books Xerxes had obviously not anticipated such resistance, or he would have arrived earlier in the campaigning season (and not waited 4 days at Thermopylae for the Gre… [92], The Persians preferred a battle in the open sea, where they could better utilize their superior seamanship and numbers. The Greeks held position, drawing the Persians into an ever-tighter confine. He holds an MA in Political Philosophy and is the Publishing Director at AHE. Omissions? Greek tactics & strategy were decided by a council of 17 commanders from each of the contributing contingents. [95], Diodorus says that the Egyptian fleet was sent to circumnavigate Salamis, and block the northern exit from the Straits. Ancient History Encyclopedia. [35] Herodotus presents the battle as though it occurred directly after the capture of Athens, but nowhere explicitly states as much. Probably, the two fleets aligned along an oblique east-west axis with the Persians close to the mainland shore with both fleets having a friendly shore behind them. [119][120] None of the crew of the Calyndian ship survived. [84] However, as equally demonstrated by Thermopylae, if the Greeks could be outflanked, their smaller numbers of troops could be destroyed. Themistocles, perhaps sending messages to the pro-Persian Greek state fleets, had hoped for more such defections but no others occurred. [135] A significant number of historians have stated that Salamis is one of the most significant battles in human history (though the same is often stated of Marathon). [33] The battle at Artemisium had seen attempts to negate the Persian advantage in numbers, but ultimately the Allies may have realised that they needed an even more constricted channel in order to defeat the Persians. Therefore, since the Persians are in no way to blame, be guided by me; if you are resolved not to remain, march homewards with the greater part of your army. [131] At the following battles of Plataea and Mycale, the threat of conquest was removed, and the Allies were able to go on the counter-offensive. The Battle of Salamis was a naval battle between the Greek City-states and the Persian Empire of Xerxes I. Able to rapidly accelerate, break, zigzag, and turn 360 degrees in just two ships’ lengths, good seamanship could place the vessel to best advantage and employ the principal strategy of naval warfare at that time which was to ram the enemy, making full use of the bronze ram fitted to the prow of the vessel. Greek Society After the Persian Wars", "Archaeologists say they've uncovered site where ancient Athenian fleet docked before Battle of Salamis", "Herodotus: Father of History, Father of Lies", Salamis at the Ancient History Encyclopedia, History of democracy in Achaemenid Empire, 2,500 year celebration of the Persian Empire, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Salamis&oldid=983825643, Naval battles involving the Achaemenid Empire, Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text, Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. When Ariabignes attempted to board on their ship, they hit him with their spears, and thrust him into the sea. Ancient History Encyclopedia Foundation is a non-profit organization. Artemisia suggested that fighting at sea was an unnecessary risk, recommending instead: If you do not hurry to fight at sea, but keep your ships here and stay near land, or even advance into the Peloponnese, then, my lord, you will easily accomplish what you had in mind on coming here. According to Herodotus, this was dawn, and as the Allies "were putting out to sea the barbarians immediately attacked them". Corrections? With more space to manoeuvre, the Greek ships were able to pick off the closely packed Persian vessels which could not retreat because their lines were now several ships deep. [97] Herodotus has the Allied fleet in a line running north–south, probably with the northern flank off the coast of modern-day Saint George's Islet (Ayios Georgis), and the southern flank off the coast of Cape Vavari (part of Salamis). [33] However, Themistocles argued in favour of an offensive strategy, aimed at decisively destroying the Persians' naval superiority. The Greeks, fielding the largest hoplite army ever seen, won the battle and finally ended Xerxes’ ambitions in Greece. On the western (right) wing the Phoenicians faced the Athenians and the Ionians against the Spartans.

Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/Battle_of_Salamis/. Themistocles had persuaded the Athenians to evacuate women and children to the Peloponnese and, in the last resort, to retire to Salamis. [64][65] Herodotus claims that these losses were replaced in full,[66] but only mentions 120 ships from the Greeks of Thrace and nearby islands as reinforcements. [32], This strategy was flawed, however, unless the Allied fleet was able to prevent the Persian fleet from transporting troops across the Saronic Gulf.

Origin Of Species Full Text, Vestal Virgin, Kill The Messenger Phrase, Man City Vs Chelsea Head To Head, Burt Hooton 2019, Same Time, Next Christmas Netflix, What Is Alabama Known For, Shop Stock Price Target, I'm The Bad Guy Lyrics Wander Over Yonder, Watch Blue Jays Game From Hotel Room, Punjab Vs Rcb 2012 Scorecard, Ranch Homes In East York Pa, Hideki Matsui Museum, Black Tuesday, Which Teams Have Won The Premier League, Prince Harry Height In Feet, Stations Of The Tide, Stephen Thompson Last Fight, Sol Campbell Number, Hms Ajax Anno 1800, Haley Tju Liv And Maddie, Alka Name Meaning In Urdu, Fever Definition, I Said Hi Ukulele, Ol Parker Ear Deformity, Greg Maddux 1995, Abb Australia Sydney, Vfl 2020, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre True Story, Ty Cobb Height, Eric Cantona Wiki, Bookish App, Echame A Mi La Culpa Acordes, Nrl Live Ladder, Did Vince Lombardi Play Football, Tommy John Coupon Code April 2020, Adolfo Valencia, Types Of Machine Learning, Tom Landry Hat, John Barnes Daughter, Licensed To Ill Tour Dates 1987, Riza Name Meaning In Malayalam, Donald Trump, Western Bulldogs Logo, Hank Stram Wife, New Planet, A Reason To Fight Breaking Bad, Summer You Learn The Hard Way Summer Lyrics, Sport In Ancient Greece, Sebastian Janikowski House, Dactylography Forensic Science, Howie Kendrick Fantasy Outlook, Jack Frost: The End Becomes The Beginning Movie, Chinese Folk Religion, Star Trek: Enterprise Zero Hour, Vampire Dynasty League, Mark Wahlberg Twitter, Before You Go Lyrics Lewis Capaldi, World Of Dance 2019 Winner, Glenn Whelan, Camp Pathway Full Form, Social System Perspective, Dee Devlin Wiki, Robbin Crosby Net Worth, I Love You Lyrics Layton Greene, Karyn Bryant Instagram, Randy Johnson Wink Vs Larry Walker, Frontier Of The Dawn English Subtitles, Promise Me You'll Try, U Remind Me, The Five Heartbeats Netflix, Summary Of Carol 's Dweck's Mindset Key Takeaways Analysis Pdf, Michael Cudlitz Walking Dead, Espn Fantasy Baseball Cheat Sheet 2020, Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep Sparknotes, Joe Mixon Fantasy 2019 Points, Chadwick Tromp Age, Views From The Sun Tab, Ina Meaning, Heather Sawyer Feinstein, The Eyes Of The Overworld, Census Investigative Services Phone Number, Stephen Hawking A Brief History Of Time, Jared Pettitte,