Tag Archives: Xerxes

Queen Artemisia of Caria is mentioned by a handful of ancient Greek writers who would have lived some years after her death. Most of our knowledge about her, of course, comes from the Father of History himself. Herodotus directly makes reference to Artemisia numerous times as he recounts the events of the Greco-Persian wars. As

The Persian wars were a series of engagements between the massive Persian empire and the various city states of ancient Greece over the course of 40 years (499-449 BCE).  The tension between the Greeks and the empire of Persia is believed to have been a result of the violent uprising known as the Ionian Revolt in

Click the links to read “The Rise of Themistocles” part 1 and part 2  By 480 BCE, the  Athenian general and statesman, Themistocles, had eliminated his political opponents and had been squarely planted as the most influential man in Athens. Rising through the political ranks of a young democratic city, Themistocles had taken great strides

The year was 480 BC and the Battle of Thermopylae was about to commence. King Leonidas I was dispatched from Sparta with only his royal bodyguard of 300 men to help him stop the oncoming Persian invasion, led by Xerxes I. Fortunately Leonidas was not entirely alone. He was able to procure more soldiers: an

It was a battle so great that many movie makers, writers and graphic novelists have attempted to capture it. Within its bloodied tale, embodies ideals such as patriotism, freedom, the underdog and resistance to excessive imperial powers. Its story is compelling, breathtaking and heartbreaking. It is none other than the Battle of Thermopylae. Like many