DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5625#0196
The Greek Repulse of Persians and Phoenicians 171
Section 34. The Greek Repulse of Persians
and phcenicians
Among the men who stood in the Athenian ranks at Mara- 316. Rise of
thr,„ • ^ Themistocles
"°n was Themistocles, the ablest statesman m Greece, a man
who had already occupied the office of archon, the head of the
Fenian state. He was convinced of the necessity of building
UP a strong navy. As archon, Themistocles had therefore
str'ven to show the Athenians that the only way in which
Athens could hope to meet the assault of Persia was by making
herself undisputed mistress of the-sea. He had failed in his
effort. But now the Athenians had seen the Persians cross the
^gean with their fleet and land at Marathon. It was .evident
l"at a powerful Athenian navy might have stopped them,
"^he Athenians therefore began to listen to the counsels
°^ Themistocles to make Athens the great sea power of the
Mediterranean.
Darius the Great, whose remarkable reign we have studied 317. Xerxes
V»S 160-165), died without having avenged the defeat of his
Persian
arr*iy at Marathon. His son and successor, Xerxes, therefore %^e$£
to°k up the unfinished task. Xerxes planned a far-reaching
assault on Greek civilization all along the line from Greece to
Sicily. This he could do through his control of the Phoenician
c'ties in Syria. The naval policy of his father Darius (§ 163)
had given the Persians a huge Phoenician war fleet. In so
ar as the coming attack on Greece was by sea it was chiefly
a Semitic assault. At the same time Xerxes induced Phoenician
Carthage to attack the Greeks in Sicily. Thus the two wings
°* the great Semitic line, the Phoenicians of Syria in the East
and the Phoenicians of Carthage in the West, were to attack the
Indo-European line (Fig. 48), represented in both East and
^est by the Greeks.
Meantime the Greeks were making ready to meet the coming
Persian assault. They soon saw that Xerxes' commanders were
cutting a canal behind the promontory of Athos, to secure a
Section 34. The Greek Repulse of Persians
and phcenicians
Among the men who stood in the Athenian ranks at Mara- 316. Rise of
thr,„ • ^ Themistocles
"°n was Themistocles, the ablest statesman m Greece, a man
who had already occupied the office of archon, the head of the
Fenian state. He was convinced of the necessity of building
UP a strong navy. As archon, Themistocles had therefore
str'ven to show the Athenians that the only way in which
Athens could hope to meet the assault of Persia was by making
herself undisputed mistress of the-sea. He had failed in his
effort. But now the Athenians had seen the Persians cross the
^gean with their fleet and land at Marathon. It was .evident
l"at a powerful Athenian navy might have stopped them,
"^he Athenians therefore began to listen to the counsels
°^ Themistocles to make Athens the great sea power of the
Mediterranean.
Darius the Great, whose remarkable reign we have studied 317. Xerxes
V»S 160-165), died without having avenged the defeat of his
Persian
arr*iy at Marathon. His son and successor, Xerxes, therefore %^e$£
to°k up the unfinished task. Xerxes planned a far-reaching
assault on Greek civilization all along the line from Greece to
Sicily. This he could do through his control of the Phoenician
c'ties in Syria. The naval policy of his father Darius (§ 163)
had given the Persians a huge Phoenician war fleet. In so
ar as the coming attack on Greece was by sea it was chiefly
a Semitic assault. At the same time Xerxes induced Phoenician
Carthage to attack the Greeks in Sicily. Thus the two wings
°* the great Semitic line, the Phoenicians of Syria in the East
and the Phoenicians of Carthage in the West, were to attack the
Indo-European line (Fig. 48), represented in both East and
^est by the Greeks.
Meantime the Greeks were making ready to meet the coming
Persian assault. They soon saw that Xerxes' commanders were
cutting a canal behind the promontory of Athos, to secure a