persians won the battle of thermopylae and salamis.
persians won the battle of thermopylae and salamis.
who won the battle of thermopylae and salamis?
persians
it is sometimes stated that thermopylae was a pyrrhic victory for the persians (i.e., one in which the victor is as damaged by the battle as the defeated party). however, there is no suggestion by herodotus that the effect on the persian forces was that. the idea ignores the fact that the persians would, in the aftermath of thermopylae, conquer the majority of greece, and the fact that they were still fighting in greece a year later. alternatively, the argument is sometimes advanced that the last stand at thermopylae was a successful delaying action that gave the greek navy time to prepare for the battle of salamis. however, compared to the probable time (about one month) between thermopylae and salamis, the time bought was negligible. furthermore, this idea also neglects the fact that a greek navy was fighting at artemisium during the battle of thermopylae, incurring losses in the process. george cawkwell suggests that the gap between thermopylae and salamis was caused by xerxes' systematically reducing greek opposition in phocis and boeotia, and not as a result of the battle of thermopylae; thus, as a delaying action, thermopylae was insignificant compared to xerxes' own procrastination. far from labelling thermopylae as a pyrrhic victory, modern academic treatises on the greco-persian wars tend to emphasise the success of xerxes in breaching the formidable greek position and the subsequent conquest of the majority of greece. for instance, cawkwell states: "he was successful on both land and sea, and the great invasion began with a brilliant success.
battle of thermopylae
the phrase was reportedly the defiant response of king leonidas i of sparta to xerxes i of persia when xerxes demanded that the greeks lay down their arms and surrender. this was at the onset of the battle of thermopylae (480 bc). instead, the greeks held thermopylae for three days. although the greek contingent was defeated, they inflicted serious damage on the persian army. most importantly, this delayed the persians' progress to athens, providing sufficient time for the city's evacuation to the island of salamis. though a tactical defeat, thermopylae served as a strategic and moral victory, inspiring the greek forces to crush the persians at the battle of salamis later the same year and the battle of plataea one year later.
molon labe