IV
THE PERSIAN INVASIONS
Failure of the first invasion under Mardonius, B.C. 492—The Medizing States in Greece—Quarrel of Athens with Ægina. B.C. 491—Second Persian invasion, B.C. 490—Capture of Eretria—Battle of Marathon—Effects of the battle—The Athenians build a fleet. B.C. 490-4S0—The coming invasion —Artemisium—Thermopylae—The Greek fleet retire to the bay of Salamis—Will the Greeks fight at Salamis?—Disappearance of the Persian fleet—The Campaign of B.C. 479—Battle of Mykale—The League of Samos, Chios, and Lesbos—The Confederacy of Delos—Aristides—Effect of the Confederacy of Delos—The battles of the Eurymedon. B.C. 466—Western Hellas—The continued rise of Athens.
In the great contest of East and West the first struggle had ended in favour of the East. When the Ionian revolt had flickered out the king determined to assert his authority in Greece by inflicting signal punishment upon Eretria and Athens for the aid given to the Ionians. But first he tried to secure the allegiance of the Hellenic towns in Asia. His nephew and son-in-law Mardonius was sent down to Lower Asia in B.C. 492 with a double commission. He was to conciliate the Greek states by deposing the tyrants and establishing democracy as their form of home government; and, secondly, he was to lead an expedi-
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