Mycale

Naval Movements After Salamis:

• The Greek fleet chased the Persian fleet as far as Euboea but then turned around to dock and winter the ships in the winter of 480 BC
• This allowed Xerxes to escape back across the Hellespont and the Persian fleet to sail to Samos
• In 479 BC, whilst the Greek army led by Pausanias marched to meet the Persians at Plataea, the Greek fleet under the command of the Spartan King Leotychidas sailed to Samos. The Samians had promised to revolt if given assistance by the other Greeks
• The Persians, not wishing to risk their already damaged fleet in another naval battle, retreated to the bay off Mt Mycale, not imagining the Greeks would sail that for inland

The Battle

• The Greek fleet followed the Persians into the bay
• They docked their ships nearby and moved inland on foot
• The Spartans commanded the left wing, the hillier land closer to the mountain
• The Athenians commanded the right wing, in the more open land closer to the sea
• The Persians attempted to defend their military encampment from the Athenians, but once they saw the Spartans encircling on the left, they retreated back through the mountain passes
• The Milesians, who had been tasked with defending the pass, switched sides at this stage
• Persian losses were great and the surviving army was forced to retreat as far back as Sardis
• The Spartans and Athenians sailed back to Samos and decided upon the next course of action with regards to the liberated Ionians

Herodotus 9.98 - 106

What is revealed about the relationship between the Persians and Ionians at this stage of the war?

• It is shown to be a distrustful relationship
• The Persians take away the Samians' armour
• The Persians did not trust the Samians because they had set free Athenian captives earlier on in the war
• The Persians also send the Milesians to guard the mountain passes as they feared that they would defect in battle
• The Spartan king Leutychides made a proclamation to the Ionians, encouraging them to join with them against the Persians
• "The purpose of this act (was that) either the message would be unknown to the barbarians and  would prevail with the Ionians, or if it were thereafter reported to the barbarians, it would cause them to mistrust their Greek allies"

What plan do the Spartans propose to help the Ionians? Why do you think they suggest this strategy?

• "they debated it in council over the removal of all Greeks from Ionia"
• "for it seemed impossible to stand on guard between the Ionians and their enemies forever"
• It would be easier to protect the Ionians this way because in Asia Minor they were too far away to help easily
• Spartans hate to travel

What do the Athenians do instead? Why do you think that they "resisted vehemently" the Spartan proposal?

• "The Athenians disliked the whole plan of removing the Greeks from Ionia, or allowing the Peloponnesians to determine the lot of Athenian colonies" - the Athenians did not want to be told what to do
• They bound their allies by pledge (Samians, Chians, Lesbians and all other islanders who served with their force) to remain faithful and not desert their allies

What more can we learn about the Greek alliance?

• It is not a true alliance - there are tensions between different Greek states

Peloponnesians and Spartans = Dorians

Athenians and the rest = Ionians