At the death of Darius, revolts broke out, first in Egypt (c.486 BC) and then in Babylon (c.484 and 482 BC), which Darius’ son Xerxes-I (c.54; r.486-465 BC) had to subdue. For the attack against Athens a channel was dug through the isthmus of the peninsula of Mount Athos, provisions were stored in the stations on the road through Thrace, and a bridge of boats was built across the Hellespont.
In spring 480 BC Xerxes set out from Sardis. He crossed the Hellespont and marched to Thermopylae and defeated Spartan troops under the command of Leonidas (d.480 BC), but a naval battle fought off Cape Artemisium on the same day was indecisive. In September Xerxes attacked the Greek navy at Salamis but the narrow straits made it impossible for the large Persian vessels to manoeuvre and they suffered heavy losses. Xerxes withdrew his naval forces, which returned to Cyme and Samos, but Mardonius and 10,000 soldiers were left to continue the war on land. At the ensuing Battle of Plataea in 479 BC Mardonius was killed and his death decided the battle. The Persian troops, now led by Artabazus (fl.480-455 BC), returned via Macedonia, Thrace and Byzantium to Persia. During the summer the Greek fleet commanded by Leotychidas (c.76; r.491-476, d.469 BC) left Delos and moved to Mycale in Ionia where Xerxes had amassed a large army. Leotychidas’ forces landed near Mycale and the Persian ships, which had been beached for safety, were destroyed. In either 469 or 466 BC at the Battle of the Eurymedon, the Athenian general Cimon (c.510-450 BC) smashed a Persian land and sea force heading for Ionia. Although these Greek defeats left Xerxes’ power unshaken, he made no further attempts at expansion. He built extensively at Persepolis, Ecbatana, etc. and was eventually assassinated in a palace intrigue.
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