Battle of Salamis

Battle of Salamis
The Department of History, United States Military Academy · Public domain · source
Conflict	Battle of Salamis
Partof	the Greco-Persian Wars
Date	September, 480 BC
Place	The Straits of Salamis, between Salamis and Piraeus
Result	Decisive Greek victory
Combatant1	Greek city-states
Combatant2	Achaemenid Empire
Commander1	Themistocles, Eurybiades
Commander2	Xerxes I, Artemisia I of Caria, Ariabignes
Strength1	366–378 triremes
Strength2	600–800 ships
Casualties1	40 ships
Casualties2	200–300 ships

Battle of Salamis. The Battle of Salamis was a pivotal naval engagement fought in September 480 BC during the second Persian invasion of Greece. The battle saw the fleet of the Achaemenid Empire, commanded by King Xerxes I, decisively defeated by a coalition of Greek city-states led by Athens and Sparta. Fought in the narrow Straits of Salamis, the Greek victory halted the Persian advance, preserved Greek independence, and marked a turning point in the Greco-Persian Wars.

Background

Following the Persian defeat at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC, King Darius I planned a larger invasion, a task inherited by his son, Xerxes I. Xerxes amassed a colossal army and navy, crossing the Hellespont in 480 BC. Initial Greek resistance at the Battle of Thermopylae and the concurrent Battle of Artemisium slowed but did not stop the Persian advance. The subsequent fall of Thermopylae forced the Greek fleet to retreat, leading to the Evacuation of Athens and the Sack of Athens by Persian forces. The remaining Greek fleet, the last viable defense, regrouped in the Saronic Gulf near the island of Salamis.

Opposing forces

The Persian armada, drawn from across the empire including Ionia, Phoenicia, Egypt, and Cilicia, numbered between 600 and 800 warships, primarily triremes and pentekonters. Key contingents were provided by the Phoenicians and Ionian Greeks, with commanders like Artemisia I of Caria and Ariabignes, a son of Darius. The Greek coalition, under the nominal command of the Spartan Eurybiades but effectively directed by the Athenian Themistocles, mustered between 366 and 378 triremes. The core of this force was the powerful Athenian fleet, built from the silver mines of Laurium, supplemented by ships from Corinth, Aegina, Megara, and other Peloponnesian League members.

Strategic situation and preparations

After the Sack of Athens, the Persian army occupied Attica, and their fleet secured the Bay of Eleusis. Many Greek commanders, especially from the Peloponnese, advocated withdrawing to the Isthmus of Corinth to defend their homeland. Themistocles, recognizing the Persian numerical advantage would be nullified in confined waters, argued fiercely to fight at Salamis. According to Herodotus, Themistocles sent a trusted slave, Sicinnus, to Xerxes with a message that the Greek fleet was in disarray and planning to flee, tricking the Persian king into ordering an immediate attack in the straits.

The battle

On the morning of the battle, Xerxes observed from a throne on the slopes of Mount Aigaleo. The Persian fleet entered the Straits of Salamis in three columns but became disordered in the narrow channel. The Greek triremes, heavier and less maneuverable, were better suited for the congested conditions. The Athenian squadron on the Greek left flank engaged the leading Phoenician ships, while the Aeginetans and other allies attacked from the flanks. The battle devolved into a chaotic melee where Greek marines and the tactic of diekplous proved effective. Key Persian commanders, including Ariabignes, were killed, and the fleet was thrown into confusion, with many ships ramming each other or running aground.

Aftermath

The shattered Persian fleet retreated to Phalerum and then to the Hellespont. Fearing the Greeks might sail to destroy his bridges, Xerxes retreated with much of his army to Sardis, leaving his general Mardonius to continue the campaign in Thessaly and Boeotia. The Greek victory saved Salamis and allowed for the reoccupation of Athens. It set the stage for the subsequent Greek victories at the Battle of Plataea and the Battle of Mycale in 479 BC, which effectively ended the Persian invasion.

Significance

The Battle of Salamis is considered one of history's most significant naval battles. It ensured the survival of Greek culture and political independence, allowing for the flourishing of the Athenian democracy and the Athenian Golden Age. The victory established Athens as the preeminent naval power in the Aegean Sea, leading to the formation of the Delian League. The battle's legacy was immortalized by the playwright Aeschylus in The Persians and cemented the reputation of Themistocles as a master strategist.

Category:Naval battles of the Greco-Persian Wars Category:480 BC Category:Battles involving Achaemenid Empire Category:Battles involving Sparta Category:Battles involving Athens