TODAY IN HISTORY: 480BC, THE BATTLE OF SALAMIS
Today is an important day in history. At dawn today, Sep. 29 in the year 480BC the Athenian allied fleet readied at the Saronic Gulf island of Salamis for a decisive battle against the Persians. Had the battle gone the other way, the course of history would have gone quite differently, and it is highly doubtful if you and I would be sitting here today as we are. The Greek alliance faced difficult choices. Many Peloponnesian commanders favored retreat to the Isthmus of Corinth, but the Athenian leader, Themistocles argued successfully for battle in the strait between the mainland and Salamis. His strategy, coupled with a ruse that compelled Xerxes to commit his fleet, brought the Persians into waters where their numbers offered little advantage.
Sep. 10, 2025 History With Cy: The Greco-Persian Wars - PART V: The Sack of Athens and the Battle of Salamis.
The Battle of Salamis was a turning point in the Greco-Persian Wars. Though the conflict was far from over, the outcome would decide the course of the war going forward.
The Battle of Salamis was a turning point in the Greco-Persian Wars. Though the conflict was far from over, the outcome would decide the course of the war going forward.
In 480 BC, following the fall of Thermopylae, the Greek fleet withdrew from Artemisium and regrouped at Salamis. At the same time, Xerxes advanced through Boeotia virtually unopposed, while Athens prepared for evacuation under the so-called Decree of Themistocles.
Chapters
00:00 After Thermopylae and Artemisium
00:45 Persians Passing through Delphi
03:55 The Themistocles Decree
12:05 Preparing for the Persians
14:09 Catalog of Ships
18:45 Evacuating Athens
21:51 The Sack of Athens
27:14 Debating with Themistocles
37:20 The Persians Arrive at Salamis
50:26 The Battle of Salamis
01:07:40 Aftermath of Salamis
01:09:58 Thank You and Patrons
Music by Farya Faraji. More of his work on this page.
- More on Classical Greece, Athens -
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