The Battle of Platea - The Spartan Revenge Against Persians - Ancient History #09 See U in History

The Persian Empire had shattered the city of Athens, but the disastrous Persian defeat in the naval battle of Salamis eliminated any naval chances of a naval evasion of the Peloponnesus Peninsula. Xerxes returned to Asia with part of his army. Nevertheless, under the command of General Mardonius, he ended up with a major army whose intent was to dominate the rest of Greece. Mardonius kept conquering and looting the Greek cities he found on his way. The Spartan army and its allies stood up for the Strait of Isthmus, preventing the possibility of having the Persians marching towards the city of the Peloponnese. After subduing the entirety of northern Greece, the Persian army headed south with the mission of achieving the full conquest of Greece. The Persian troops were camped near the town of Plataea in the region of Boetia. This was an army about 300,000 soldiers stationed near the edge of the Isopos River. From the top of the mountains near the city of Plataea appeared the Greek army led by the interim king Pausanias who replaced King Leonidas, the king who died at Thermopylae. Pausanias would have the seat until the deceased son reached the age to reign. These were approximately 40,000 hoplites and 60,000 auxiliary troops gathered from the most various Greek cities. The Greeks settled themselves on the top of the mountain since it was an excellent defensive position. On the left side of the Greek formation were the Athenians. In the center they had a mishmash of several Greek pulleys and on the right, which was the position of honor, were the Spartan soldiers. Several days passed and both armies stared at each other, conducting sacrifices to gods, waiting for an auspicious sign to launch an attack. General Mardonius ordered his horse-riding archers to fustigate the Greek lions with their arrows with the purpose of weakening their morale. However, the move backfired. The noble officer who commanded the Persian attack was killed by the Greeks. This encouraged them to reposition themselves closer to the Persian army. None of the two armies dared to attack. The Greeks dreaded a clash against the Persian cavalry in open field and the Persians knew that the positioning of the Greek troops favored the defenders. The Persian cavalry managed to achieve a major victory, conquering the spring of water that supplied the Greek army. The Spartans and their allies were now in quite a delicate situation. Starving and thirsty, it was impossible to maintain the position indefinitely and attacking did not seem to be a viable alternative. The Greeks decided to retreat, but since it was an army formed by units of different origins, the move was very disorganized. Mardonius, perceiving the chaotic retreat of the Greeks, believed that the enemy army was in panic. He ordered all his troops to launch an attack. The Theban phalanx, who had allied with the Persians, advanced against the Athenians, prompting a classic battle of Greek hoplites. In the meantime, the bulk of the Persian army went after the Spartans. The cavalry tried to decimate them, but was repulsed by the wall of Spartan spears. The Persian infantry advanced over the hill, but waited for the archers to weaken the enemy lines. The Spartans protected themselves from the pouring of arrows and launched a counterattack. Aided by gravity while descending the hill, the Spartan phalanx exploded against the enemy line. The bloodbath began. The discipline, strength, and courage of the Spartan soldiers allowed them to fight on equal terms against a much larger army. The Spartans started to push the Persian lines back and were getting near Mardonius and his personal guard. The Persian general, on his horse, led his troops bravely and had the dream to reign over Greece in the name of Xerxes. But he did not foresee what was about to happen. A Spartan grabbed a stone from the ground and threw it against Mardonius. He was hit on the head and dropped dead from his horse. Seeing their general falling, the Persian army panicked and disorderly fled from the battlefield. Those who kept fighting were massacred. Those who fled to the city of Thebes were rounded up and executed. The Persian defeat was complete. The Persian army had been destroyed. Greece was finally free of the invaders. After the battle, the Spartan general Pausanias approached the Persian camp, which had been abandoned during the enemy's escape. The Greeks were impressed with the wealth and luxury contained in the tent of General Mardonius, who had been Xerxes' personal tent during the first phase of the invasion. Witnessing the wealth of the Persians, the riches of the Greeks felt penniless. During his march, Xerxes looted and plundered several Greek cities. But in the end, he couldn't steal the greatest Greek treasure, which was their freedom.