Greco-Persian Wars

The Greco-Persian Wars were a series of conflicts fought between the Greek city-states and the Persian Empire in the fifth century BC. Spanning over several decades, these wars were characterized by major battles such as Marathon, Thermopylae, Salamis, and Plataea. The Greeks, led by city-states like Athens and Sparta, successfully defended their independence against the massive Persian forces under king Darius and later his successor, Xerxes.