Discussion Forum Unit 3

What according to you was the most significant result of the Greco-Persian wars? Give
reasons to support your answer.

The Persian Wars began in 499 BCE with the Ionian Revolt by Greeks in Persian-controlled
territory. After defeat in 494 BCE, Athens and other Greek towns offered aid, but were swiftly
compelled to withdraw. The Persians were repeatedly defeated by the Greeks. Silver mining
helped to fund a strong Greek army capable of repelling Persian attacks and finally defeating the
Persians altogether. With the end of the Persian Wars, Athens rose to become the leader of the
Delian League.

The most notable outcome of the Greco-Persian wars was the destruction of a considerable part
of the Persian fleet and the expulsion of all Persian garrisons from Europe, effectively ending
Persia's progress westward into Europe (Lumen, n.d). Ionian cities were also liberated from
Persian domination. Despite their victories, the spoils of battle increased internal turmoil among
the Hellenic civilization. The brutal actions of Spartan leader Pausanias during the siege of
Byzantium, for example, alienated many Greek kingdoms from Sparta and resulted in a shift in
the Delian League's military authority from Sparta to Athens. This laid the groundwork for
Sparta's eventual departure from the Delian League. Following the Persian Wars, the Persian
Empire began a divide-and-rule strategy with the Greek city-states, fanning already simmering
disputes such as the rivalry between Athens and Sparta in order to safeguard the Persian Empire
against further Greek attacks.

References:

Lumen (n.d). Effects of the Persian Wars. Retrieved from

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/atd-herkimer-westerncivilization/chapter/effects-of-the-
persian-wars/