Greco-Persian wars

In 499 BC, a great war erupted between the Greek city-states and the Persian empire, ruled by Darius. Ionian greek city-states revolted against Persian rule, and Athens supported them. this caused King Darius to invade Greece in 490 BC,  after putting down the earlier Ionian revolt. First, the Greeks defeated the Persians at Marathon. After that, Greek forces, led by the Spartans and King Leonidas defended the pass at Thermopylae against the onslaught brought by KIng Xerxes. They battled a much larger persian army, thus ended up being wiped out. Then, the Persian sacked and burned Athens, and went on to fight the Greeks at the strait of Salamis. the Athenian navy tricked the persians to fight in the narrow strait and ended up slaughtering them. finally they travel to Plataea where the ended the war by defeating the Persians.