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DA3. Results of the Greco-Persian Wars

Statement

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

Answer

The Greco-Persian wars were a series of battles between the Greek city-states and the Persian Empire that lasted for half a century (499-449 BCE). During these wars, the Greeks were victorious in some battles either by land or sea, and the Persians in others. The most significant result of these wars was that Greek culture and civilization were saved as the Persian invasion was repulsed; and that it unified the Greek city-states under the leadership of Athens, which emerged almost as an empire (Britannica, 2003).

Greece was never on the Persian’s list of targets, but the expansion of the Persian empire had put it in close contact with the Greek city-states. The wars started with the Ionian Greeks’ revolt against the Persian Empire in 499 BCE where the Greek city-states sent troops to help the Ionians. The wars were divided into two main invasions (phases); the first Persian invasion in 492 BCE under Darius I, and it was successful until his fleet was destroyed in a storm. The second Persian invasion was in 480 BCE under Xerxes I, where he was able to capture and burn Athens but later the Greeks defeated the Persian fleet at the Battle of Salamis. The wars ended in 449 BCE with the Peace of Callias, which ended the Persian threat to Greece (Internet Archive, 2024).

The Persian invasion was repulsed which saved Greek culture and prevented the Persian empire from expanding to Europe. The course of history would have been changed if the Persians had secured Greece and moved west toward the Roman Empire. This was also a significant defeat to the ever-expanding Persian Empire, which was the largest of the time. The Persian empire did not cease to exist, nor it was weakened or stopped expanding, but it scraped its plans to conquer Greece; and moved toward meddling in their internal affairs using diplomacy and political influence.

Athene emerged as an empire after the wars as the Greeks during the wars came together to fight a common enemy; but after the war, the Greeks anticipated that they needed to be prepared for such invasions so they formed the Delian League alliance. The city-states were still to be independent, but each would participate in a share of money and troops to build a common army that defended all city-states against external threats. Despite being destroyed and burned, Athene was chosen as the center of the League due to the exceptional power and strategies Athenians showed during the wars with the Persians.

To conclude, the most significant result was the forming of the Delian League which Athene led and later used its resources to rebuild the city and its empire. The selfishness and the misuse of common resources caused some city-states to leave or revolt against the league, which led to the Peloponnesian War between the Delian and Peloponnesian Leagues and the role that Persians played in this war to keep the Greek city-states divided and fighting each other.

Word Count: 494.

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