Greek-Speaking Invaders

Around 1200 B.C. Greek speaking invaders flooded southern Greece and overcame Mycenae. Many of the inhabitants fled to the west coast of Asia Minor (Ionia). The invasions halted c. 1000 B.C. and over the centuries powerful city-states, such as Athens and Sparta, arose on the Greek mainland. The Greeks who fled to Ionia settled and founded cities of their own. They retained the Greek way of life. The Ionian Greeks were in turn subjugated by Lydia under Croesus. The Ionians did not seem to resent their Lydian rulers as Croesus was quick to adopt many aspects of the Greek culture to the point that some Greeks revered Croesus.

In 546 B.C. Lydia was conquered by the growing might of the infant Persian empire. Cyrus the Great of Persia marched his army into Lydia and defeated Croesus. Cyrus recognized the value of Croesus and appointed him to be his personal advisor. The Persian conquest of Greek Ionia was completed by 510 B.C. under Darius I. All of the islands off the coast of Asia Minor were under his control. He then marched his army into Europe and reached Macedonia.

In 500 B.C. Ionian Greece revolted against their Persian overlords. A recent near defeat of the Persian army led them to believe that revolt was possible. Aid was solicited from mainland Greece and was received by Athens and Eretria. Athens sent 20 ships to aid in the revolt and Eretria sent five ships. The revolt experienced rapid initial success as the Greeks captured and burned Sardis, the capital of the Persian satrapy. However, by 494 B.C. the revolt was smashed following the defeat of the Greek fleet at Lade. Miletus was razed its inhabitants sold into slavery.

Following the revolt Darius prepared to punish those who aided the Ionians. The Persians sent emissaries to the Greek mainland demanding submission, a proposition the Greeks refused. A mighty Persian fleet set sail for Greece, but met disaster in ferocious storms off the cape of Mount Athos in 492 B.C. Darius sent another force in 490 B.C. Accompanying Darius was Hippias, a former despot of Athens who was exiled in 510 B.C. Hippias maintained some support in Athens and hoped to once again rule the city, despite his age of 80. On this occasion the Persians sacked Eretria and moved into the bay of Marathon to strike Athens.

Under the prospect of facing the Persians, the Athenians sent a runner to Sparta seeking aid.