The Wars of Classical Greece: The History of the Conflicts that Led to the Rise and Fall of the Greeks' Dominance

The ancient Greeks have long been considered the forefathers of modern Western Civilization, but the Golden Age of Athens and the spread of Greek influence across much of the known world only occurred due to one of the most crucial battles of antiquity: the Battle of Marathon. In 491 B.C., following a successful invasion of Thrace over the Hellespont, the Persian emperor Darius sent envoys to the main Greek city-states, including Sparta and Athens, demanding tokens of earth and water as sy...