CLASS 2035: Glory of Athens & bottom of Sparta
Classics Major Essay
What advantages did Xerxes enjoy when he invaded Greece in 480 BC and why did he not gain victory over the Greeks?
Introduction
The victory of the Greeks over the Persians in the Second Persian war is, to this day, one of the peaks of Hellenic history. Arguably, this is because the result was so unforeseen. The disjointed and break Greeks, divided by rivalry and infighting, took on the might of the Persian Empire, the greatest Empire the world had yet seen. Further, Xerxes, the Persian ruler, had accepted and learned from the mistakes of his fathers earlier incursion into Greece and had prepared a long army for the arduous campaign. Surely only one issuance was viable: the total subjugation of Greece. This essay explores the advantages Xerxes enjoyed when he invaded Greece, particularly his preparations and his armies military prowess, and then analyses why he lost the war. round unusual explanations for this loss are not explored - for example, historians of the time argued that the assign of Xerxes and his armies was willed by the gods: Xerxes egotism is not so more a sin as an indication of celestial disfavour.
Other possible explanations, such as excessive Persian hubris and tyrannical deportment contrasting with Greek freedom, also seem implausible explanations. Of much more illuminating power are the views of the analytical Thucydides who ascertained that the Persians were beaten mainly by their alacrity and errors in judgement. Ultimately, topnotch military tactics and intelligence, particularly in naval engagements, the transmission line of maintaining a vast and overextended Empire, key Persian mistakes and the very matter-of-fact issue of poor supply lines all combined to channel the Emperors armies to a crushing defeat.
Advantages
The two inter-related vital advantages enjoyed...
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