What were the Persian Wars?

Answer 1

(499 - 449 BC) Series of wars between Greek city-states and the Persian Empire, particularly two invasions of Greece by Persia (490, 480 - 479). When Darius came to power in Persia in 522, the Ionian Greek city-states in Anatolia were under Persian control. They rose up unsuccessfully in the revolt (499 - 494). The support lent by Athens and Eretria provoked Darius to send a punitive expedition against them (492). but this fleet was destroyed in a storm. In 490 he sent another expedition which captured Eretri but was defeated at Marathon near Athens; In 480 the his successor Xerxes invaded Greece, seeking to bring all the Greek cities under control. This time increasing numbers of Greek cities combined under Spartan leadership. The Persian navy was defeated at the Battle of Salamis in 480 leaving his army unsupported militarily and unsupplied logistically. Xerxes' army was defeated at the Battle of Plataea in 479 and driven from Greece, and the navy met a similar fate at Mycale on the Anatolian coast. Sporadic fighting went on for 30 more years, during which Athens formed the Delian League to free the Ionians. The Peace of Callias (449) ended the hostilities.

Answer 2

An attempt by the Persians to put down revolts by the Greek cities within its empire from 499 BCE expanded to fighting the other Greek cities which intervened in the conflict. Persia's solution was to absorb all the cities and appoint tyrants to rule them and keep them from disrupting peace and prosperity. The southern cities of mainland Greece resisted, and turned back a Persian invasion, and sporadic fighting went on around the eastern Mediterranean for 50 years 499-449 BCE. The Persians eventually gave up their quest to impose peace, and left the Greek cities to their usual fighting amongst themselves.