Themistokles, first
Archon in the official year 493/2 BC, suspected already that the
Persian were preparing an attack and enlarged Pireas into the biggest
port of Athens. In 492 BC the Persian, under the commander Mardonios,
advanced on the island of Thassos in Macedonia. The following year they
gave an ultimatum to the Greek cities to submit. Some cities did it,
while other joined Sparta and Athens to put resistant to the Persian.
The
first relevant military campaign between the Persian and the Greeks
started in 490 BC. Under the command of the Persian Datis and Artaphenos,
a huge army arrived to the island of Eritrea. After six days of siege,
the Greek city got finally burnt down and the army set up a base camp
there. On the other hand, Kallimachos and
Miltiades, who were at the front the Athenian army, went into
battle in the bay of Marathon, in a small passage that leads to Athens.
The Athenian army, however,
was much inferior in number and had to ask for help to the Spartans. But
the Persian realized this weak point of their enemies and decided to
attack before the arrival of the support. Fortunately, the local
circumstances were in the favor of the Athenians, who managed to force
back the Persian to their ships. These dropped down the pathetic attempt
to attack the Athenian from the west and returned to Minor Asia. So
finally Athens won the battle, and they were so proud of it that they
recalled it all the time. After this victory, Athens tried to keep its
army active and made some attempts to conquer some of the Cyclad
islands.
In the political aspect,
the years around the the 480 BC were a crucial test to the new
Kleisthenic constitution. There were many fights for the political
power, many politicians were banned during these years (487 - 482 BC) on
the grounds of the ostracism. From 487 BC on, the 9 Archonten
were not any more elected, but taken out of the 100 nominated Demen,
hence decreasing the power of the Areopag.
A leading person of this
time was Themistokles. He enlarged Pireas into the
biggest port of Athens and strengthened the fleet of Athens, known
because of its maneuverability and vigorous rowing tactics.
Early History / Archaic Age / Classical Age / Hellenic Age / The Army / Timeline
