Everyone has heard of the battles of Marathon and Thermopylae which were battles in the wars between Greece and Persia in the 5th century BCE. But there was much more to it than this. The Greeks saw the expansion of the great Persian empire into Europe as a threat to their freedom and democracy. Putting aside traditional feuds, they carried out a series of revolts which grew into a war of epic proportions with huge naval and land battles that would decide the future of Europe and the growth of democracy for millennia to come. This course explores the events of these times.

DELIVERY MODE

• Hybrid (F2F and Online simultaneously)

COURSE OUTLINE

• The Ionian Revolt - the beginnings of the war where the Greek city-states of Asia Minor revolted against Persian rule
• Marathon: first blood. The first invasion of Greece by the Persians was repulsed but led to greater threats and a decade of feverish preparation
• Thermopylae, Artemisium and Salamis - Greece, under Athens’ leadership, became a great maritime power to counter the massive Persian fleet.
• Plataea and Mycale. The Greeks, now under Spartan leadership, had to confront the great Persian invading army in battles that matched any in ancient history for ferocity and significance
• City-state politics. This was on on-going theme throughout the wars where Greeks, used to fighting each other, had to unite against a common enemy.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Understand the reasons for the war between Greece and Persia
2. Understand the nature of the two opponents, militarily and politically
3. Trace the course of the war and the changes in tactics and approaches each side made
4. Appreciate the significance of the battles and how the outcome affected European and western history and thought even until today