The Battle of Salamis
Once again the Greek fleet of just under 400 ships faced overwhelming odds. Although Herodotus puts the number of Persian ships at just over 1,200 some modern historians argue that based on attrition in previous battles and to shipwrecks in storms the Persian fleet most likely consisted of no more than 600-800 ships. Even assuming the lowest estimate, the Persians held a decided advantage in numbers.
The specifics of the battle remain vague; no observer or participant had a complete view, and representatives of various city-states accounts of the battle elevated their own contribution above those of others. By some accounts there was initial confusion on both sides about the actions and intent of their opponents.
The Persian navy, cramped once it entered the narrow straits between Salamis and the mainland, had been led to believe that the Greek alliance and her navy was disintegrating in confusion. Instead they found the navy lined up and fully prepared for battle. The Persians had smashed through the Spartans at Thermopylae, forced a retreat at Artemisium, conquered Boeotia and Attica. The Persian advance across Greece had forced the evacuation of Athens. There was nowhere left to retreat, the invading Persians had to be stopped, and they had to be stopped at Salamis.
According to Aeschylus, who fought at Salamis, the Persians were greeted by the sound of the navy, under their Athenian commander, singing this battle hymn:
Forward, sons of the Greeks, Liberate the fatherland, Liberate your children, your women, The altars of the gods of your fathers And the graves of your forebears: Now is the fight for everything.By some accounts the Greek line began to back up, whether seeking to gain an optimal position or simply buying time waiting for the morning winds is unclear. What is clear is the decisive victory the Persians had sought instead went to the Greeks.
The advance of the Greek navy drove the first line of Persians back into their own reinforcing ranks, sinking ships and boarding those that remained afloat with hoplite infantry. The Persian admiral, Ariabignes (Xerxes own brother), was killed early in the day, adding to the confusion. Before the day was done the Persian line had been split in two, and over 200 of their ships had been sunk. Persian casualties were extremely heavy, according to Herodotus, because many of the Persians didn't know how to swim.
Although it wasn't until the following year, in 479 BC, that the Persian invasion was fully defeated in the battle of Plataea, the victory at Salamis is widely regarded as a major turning point in the war.
The specifics of the battle remain vague; no observer or participant had a complete view, and representatives of various city-states accounts of the battle elevated their own contribution above those of others. By some accounts there was initial confusion on both sides about the actions and intent of their opponents.
The Persian navy, cramped once it entered the narrow straits between Salamis and the mainland, had been led to believe that the Greek alliance and her navy was disintegrating in confusion. Instead they found the navy lined up and fully prepared for battle. The Persians had smashed through the Spartans at Thermopylae, forced a retreat at Artemisium, conquered Boeotia and Attica. The Persian advance across Greece had forced the evacuation of Athens. There was nowhere left to retreat, the invading Persians had to be stopped, and they had to be stopped at Salamis.
According to Aeschylus, who fought at Salamis, the Persians were greeted by the sound of the navy, under their Athenian commander, singing this battle hymn:
Forward, sons of the Greeks, Liberate the fatherland, Liberate your children, your women, The altars of the gods of your fathers And the graves of your forebears: Now is the fight for everything.By some accounts the Greek line began to back up, whether seeking to gain an optimal position or simply buying time waiting for the morning winds is unclear. What is clear is the decisive victory the Persians had sought instead went to the Greeks.
The advance of the Greek navy drove the first line of Persians back into their own reinforcing ranks, sinking ships and boarding those that remained afloat with hoplite infantry. The Persian admiral, Ariabignes (Xerxes own brother), was killed early in the day, adding to the confusion. Before the day was done the Persian line had been split in two, and over 200 of their ships had been sunk. Persian casualties were extremely heavy, according to Herodotus, because many of the Persians didn't know how to swim.
Although it wasn't until the following year, in 479 BC, that the Persian invasion was fully defeated in the battle of Plataea, the victory at Salamis is widely regarded as a major turning point in the war.