Note: Some information I learned from Wikipedia, and the "50 battles" "50 weapons" series by William Weir, and "100 Decisive Battles" by Paul K. Davis.
The Persian army was led by King Xerxes, who’s father Darius had invaded Greece ten years before in 490 BC. His father’s invasion, however, was unsuccessful. The Greeks had a brilliant victory at the Battle of Marathon, in which the Greek general Miltiades successfully led them. The Persians wanted revenge. King Xerxes, whom the Greeks called the Great King, spent years building his huge army and planning his attack. He finally started his attack. In an amazing feat, he built a long bridge made of boats and crossed the Hellespont, which is north of Greece, and marched in leading his enormous army.
When the Greeks heard of this they took a counsel and decided they would send the Spartan King Leonidas and about 7,000 other Greeks, with 300 of them Spartans, to block the Persians at the narrow pass of Thermopylae. The Athenian general Themistocles went with his Navy to stop the Persians at the strait of Salamis, which is near Thermopylae.
Now, Thermopylae was a thin stretch of beach which had mountains on one side, and the ocean on the other. It was said that you could only fit one chariot at a time across the narrowest part of Thermopylae Pass, so this would make a wonderful defense, and perfect for a Phalanx to defend it. In fact, Thermopylae made such an ideal defense, that in World War II a British force used Thermopylae to block a Nazi invasion.
Xerxes and his vast army arrived at Thermopylae, when they saw the Greeks and realized they had them greatly outnumbered, Xerxes sent a messenger to Leonidas and said that if he would fall back and give in, they would give them new land to stay on. Leonidas and his army refused. Now rather impatient, Xerxes firmly ordered Leonidas to lay down his weapons, to which Leonidas replied “Come and get them.” By this time Xerxes would have been angered, he took his army and prepared to attack the Greeks.
Leonidas with his army set up their position on Thermopylae and Xerxes sent in his army. Xerxes first sent in his light infantry troops and they charged at the Greeks. The Persians were completely blocked and thrown back, they tried again, and divisions of Xerxes army were stopped and forced away by the Greek phalanx. Xerxes was furious, he regathered his troops and sent in the Persian Immortals. A very skilled group of warriors consisting of 10,000 men. The Immortals charged, and they too were absolutely stopped. For three days Xerxes tried and each time the Persians were stopped, with no success. Xerxes was enraged, he pulled back his army and waited.
The Greeks were having great success, but then the unthinkable happened. One of the Greeks, hoping for a reward, betrayed Leonidas, and showed Xerxes a path leading behind him. When the Greeks heard of what had happened and saw the Persians approaching, the rearguard fell back, and the Greeks regrouped, deciding what to do next. With the Persians on their way, many of the Greeks panicked and retreated, but Leonidas with the 300 Spartans, and about 700 other men from a small Greek town, stayed back, refusing to retreat.
The Persians surrounded the Greeks, and could now close in on them. Leonidas and his army charged full force into the Persians. The Greeks fought to the end, making a valiant last stand, but the Persians eventually prevailed, overwhelming the Greeks. Xerxes now had Thermopylae, and could advance to sack Athens. But Leonidas and his army had courageously fought, and this allowed the other Greeks to escape.
Xerxes now went to Athens, but he found it nearly deserted, he then burned Athens to the ground, and moved on to Salamis, where Themistocles and his Navy had their position. Themistocles craftily lured the Persians into his trap, saying that if the Persians attacked and won, he would surrender. The Persians advanced, but they were moving into a narrow strait, the Persians strength was in their maneuverability and speed, in this position, they would have lost both. The heavier Greek ships, called Triremes, were stronger and bigger, and could hold out in a situation like this.
Xerxes had his throne set up on a hill, overlooking the battle, and expecting his victory. But for Xerxes, the worst happened. The Persian vessels crashed and piled up behind each other in the narrow wedge, not being able to go forward or back. The Greeks advanced, going over the lighter Persian ships, mowing them down. Xerxes was in awe, now his huge navy had been defeated. Angered, Xerxes retreated.
The Greeks had won Salamis and had thrown Xerxes back. The next year in the summer of 479 BC, the Greeks, under the Spartan general Pausanias, decisively defeated the Persians and their General Mardonius at the Battle of Plataea. Using their strategy and discipline, the smaller Greek forces had defeated the massive Persian army. Xerxes returned with his army to Persia, for good.
Like David defeating Goliath, the outnumbered Greeks craftily achieved victory. If the Persians had conquered Greece, democracy and Greek ideas would have been done for. Alexander the Great would not have spread Greek culture to the western world, and none of the Greek influences would have come into the other countries. All the way, to the Roman empire and the birth of Christ. The Greeks victory against the Persians did NOT happen by chance. It was all part of God’s providential guidance, sovereignty and will, that all these things happened.
King Xerxes, who was rather prideful, had been defeated. However, he eventually acknowledged God, and ruled Persia successfully. After his rule he gave the throne to his son Artaxerxes, who also plays a great part in history and God’s plan. The Persian empire was eventually conquered by Alexander the Great, and Greek culture was spread into the western world. After this, the Roman empire eventually rose, and God’s plan of Jesus Christ and redemption continued onward.
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