Battle of Salamis: Ancient Greece's Climactic Naval Battle With Persia

Follows in the footsteps of Themistocles and his fearsome adversary Xerxes, through two spectacular military engagements, one on land, the other naval: the battles of Marathon (490 BC) and Salamis (480 BC). Themistocles against Xerxes, the story of a duel and the exceptional parallel careers of two men of a similar age, but whose origins, beliefs, and cultures were very different: the son of a king and the son of democracy itself.
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[@onasknox9284]

Man the camera work in the bronze age was awesome!

[@638taximan]

😅

[@vanessathomas7437]

Not to mention the Costumes!

[@righteousviking]

And in living color!

[@patrickdeel4283]

Iron Age. Bronze Age was earlier, and the camera work then was a bit more crude XD

[@onasknox9284]

@@patrickdeel4283 haha, yeah I heard they were recording on "film" and it doesn't hold up so well

[@alejandrosakai1744]

Seeing a film about the Greco-Persian wars spoken in Ancient Greek and Old Persian will be part of my wishlist!

[@andrewmaalo4477]

Great video Better than Netflix.

[@yuribrito1504]

Great Video! During the Greco-Persian Wars, the Greek cultural unity had prevailed over the political differences. During the Persian Wars, for the first time in history, the Greek world (Ελλάς) became ONE (Μόνος); putting aside its ideological and/or political differences. During Xerxes' invasion, ALL Hellenes fought side by side, including Athenians, Spartans, Megarians, Corinthians, Thespians and, incredible as it may seem, even some few Thebans themselves. Although Thebes had sided with the Persians during Xerxes' invasion, a contingent of 400 Thebans valiantly fought with Leonidas at Thermopylae. Had it not been for Sparta's overwhelming victory over Argos during the Battle of Sepeia (494 BC), the Argives would also probably join the fight against the Persians! The Hellenic union throughout the Persian Wars, in my historical analysis, was something simply incredible (Απίστευτος). The Greco-Persian Wars, in fact, were a huge victory not just for Athens, Corinth or Sparta, but for the Greek nation as a whole (Ελλάς). The Greeks were politically divided among several city-STATES (πόλεις). Nevertheless, the Greeks had only one NATION (Ελλάς). There is a huge difference between State and Nation. State is the political aspect of a territory, country or city, that is, it is represented by the form of government, legislation and constitution. The NATION, on the other hand, is the CULTURAL aspect of a State (language, religion and traditions). In the Ancient Greek context, the STATE was represented by the polis (Πόλις); while the NATION, in turn, was represented by the CULTURAL aspect of the "Hellas" (Ελλάς); which was the term used to designate the Greek "Κόσμος" (world) as a whole. Athens and Sparta, needless to say, had two COMPLETELY different types of STATES (πόλεις). While Athens, for example, was a polis (city) that valued democracy and philosophy; Sparta, on the other hand, was an aristocratic and militaristic diarchy. Nevertheless, both Athens and Sparta were part of the same cultural world (Ελλάς), had the same gods, festivals and languages. Despite their political differences, the Greeks had a cultural bond; sharing the same "γένος" (common descent). Athens, Sparta, Megara, Corinth and Thebes, in fact, were first and foremost HELLENIC cities. It was precisely the cultural bond, for example, that united the Ionian and philosophical Athens to the Doric and militaristic Sparta! It was precisely this CULTURAL aspect that the Greeks called "ΕΛΛΆΣ". According to Herodotus, all Greeks (Hellenes) had four things in common: "same blood" ("Ομάιμον"), "same language" ("Ομόλγωσσον"), "same religion" ("Ομόθρησκων") and the "same customs/ways" ("Ομότροπον"). During the Greco-Persian Wars, more precisely during Xerxes' invasion (480-479 BC), it seems that all these four aforementioned factors became ingrained in the Greek mentality. In other words, the Greeks were not only defending their respective city-states (πόλεις), but also their own culture and way of life, that is, their NATION (ΕΛΛΆΣ). During Xerxes' invasion, even some poleis of Magna Graecia (Μεγάλη Ελλάς) had provided some kind of military assistance. The polis of Croton (Κρότων), one of the most important cities of Greek Calabria, sent one ship to Salamis. Had it not been for the Battle of Himera (480 BC), the city of Syracuse itself (Συράκουσαι), the most important polis of Greek Sicily, would also probably send hoplites and ships to Mainland Greece. Xerxes' "luck", however, was the fact that both Syracuse (Συράκουσαι) and Akragas (Άκράγας), the two most important and powerful cities of Magna Graecia, were already waging their own defensive war against the Carthaginians. During Xerxes' invasion, practically all the main Greek cities contributed with the war effort (with the exception of Thebes and Argos). According to Herodotus, Corinth (Κόρινθος), for example, sent 40 ships to Salamis and 5,000 hoplites to Plataea. Megara (Μέγαρα), meanwhile, provided 20 ships to Salamis and 3,000 hoplites to Plataea. Chalcis (Χαλκίς), the most important city of Euboea (Εύβοια), sent 400 hoplites to Plataea and 20 ships to Salamis. Epidaurus (Επίδαυρος), an important polis of Argolis, provided 10 ships to Salamis and 800 hoplites to Plataea. Aegina (Αίγινα), the most important polis of the Saronic Gulf (Σαρωνικός κόλπος), sent 30 ships to Salamis and 500 hoplites to Plataea. Sparta (Λακεδαίμων), which was the leader of the Greek land forces, provided 300 men to Thermopylae (under Leonidas), 16 ships to Salamis and 10,000 hoplites to Plataea. Lastly, Athens (Αθήνα/Αθήναι), which was the leader of the Greek naval forces, provided 9,000 hoplites to Marathon, 180 ships to Salamis and 8,000 hoplites to Plataea. As we can see, practically all the main city-states contributed to the Greek cause. As I mentioned before, the Greeks were not only defending their respective city-states, but also their NATION. However, unfortunately for the Greeks, it took a foreign invasion for them to unite. As Thucydides stated: "War is a violent teacher" ("Πόλεμος βίαιος Διδάσκαλος").

[@peterbustin2683]

Im going to have to read this carefully again ! Thanks for the great detail !

[@yuribrito1504]

@@peterbustin2683 You're welcome.

[@firehorse2008]

👍🏾for all that typing.😅

[@TheColombiano89]

Nice copy and paste. Also not all the GREEKS had been united. MACEDONIA fought with the Persians and Ionians aswell as Thebes and other Greeks.

[@PapaVamp]

The Spartans tried to betray everyone and build their wall and the Athenians said they were gonna leave Greece and move to Italy if everyone didn’t listen to them lol

[@momentaryreflection6725]

Imagine if the Persians and Greeks came together with mutual respect. Exchanging each other's ideas/concepts would have made the modern world ahead of its time today.

[@turboplazz]

"Imagine". The mentality of man is set in stone and more rigid than the most hardened steel.

[@momentaryreflection6725]

@@turboplazz Your not wrong at least as we get older the brain becomes more rigid in terms of adopting new patterns or behaviors.

[@TheColombiano89]

It would be a massive Indo-European empire.

[@JayM409]

They did, under Alexander.

[@jimmyfarari3823]

We were all one nation during the cyrus the great but they just wanted war one day i will tell you guys the truth you are all brainwashed by th3 movie 300 it takes time... the effect and lies of that movie effected everyone you will never Learn from history when they lie like this everything they showed in the movies 300 was other way around... Our history is re written and told by the ancient persia enemies 4 times and The fifth time was our friends and the movie 300 Guys please donnot miss understand me I love greece Athen and all the people in the world ❤❤❤❤ I am talking about Ancient time oh oh the w

[@user-oi9iz9jr8y]

Great video!

[@christopherjenkins2373]

This was an excellent documentary almost perfect in every detail. I would have liked to have heard more about the construction of the two navies and their different tactic approaching battle. This story teaches us again of the danger of having an autocratic leader surrounded by eager and fearful sycophants. This is something the Americans had better be considering as they approach their next presidential election. How the Greeks of Athens did not seek to demand the assistance of the other city states but rather negotiated with them as equals with their unified common interests and needs coming first. The old adage of failing to learn the lessons of history often means we make the same mistakes over and over again. May this not be the epitaph of a democratic USA. Again, this was an excellent teaching story of how to face the dangers around us using our intellect and facts backed by common sense and humble strength based on the common good. No one called their honored dead chumps, suckers, and losers. - Chris Jenkins D. min, Ret.

[@JayM409]

A part 3 is needed for the Battle of Plataea a year later.

[@MondoProducer]

Telenovelas with a touch of Monty Python production of Persians and Greeks.

[@poepoe5311]

Thank you so much for uploading this! 🤍 Keep on rocking timeline.

[@stevelee6283]

Thanks. Very good game developers and history.

[@TheColombiano89]

Fun fact: Themistocles was one of the several Greek aristocrats who took refuge in the Persian Empire. So much for "freedom" and "liberty"

[@mr.esclass2823]

That was after they voted to kick him out of Athens. People who didn't like him got him ostracized.

[@moshemankoff7488]

Thanks!

[@dennis345]

Really annoying that the closed captioning keeps blocking itself out by telling us--repeatedly--that "______ speaking a foreign language."

[@alexherman1803]

You can turn auto generated captions off in the settings at the bottom of the video

[@indigenouspatriot9008]

Great post,but the amount of adverts makes it impossible to watch

[@guldenaydin9918]

Harika!

[@JuandeFucaU]

somebody once linked me to a video called Battle of salamis but it was way different than this.

[@denniscleary7580]

It’s a shame that the Themystecles was the savior of Athens and Greece but would later join sides with Persia and command her navy

[@coryobrien8154]

Who else got a totally different image in their head when they read "battle of salamis"???

[@clivebaxter6354]

Nobody

[@tomtaylor6163]

Wow Xerces looks like one of Kianu Reeves ancestors

[@zmmz1238]

What did the ancient Persians look like? I understand that it might be confusing at first look due to their lack of representation, but it will actually become pretty clear upon a second glance. For now as you read this just keep in mind that most contemporary art, even the ones depicted by modern Iranians themselves are based on ancient Persian Royal art, which itself was directly copied from the Assyrians and Babylonians who came before them - a highly symbolic, flat type of art where all faces regardless of which nation was represented, looked almost identical (for more see the last two paragraphs). Some of the modern art also conflates the current Middle-Eastern phenotype with that of the ancient peoples of Iran. The Persians and Spartans were both Indo-Europeans (Caucasians). But according to Greek historian Herodotus (Father of History), the Medes were blonds and sandy-haired Northern Iranians. Xerxes’s father, Darius, was a Mede, his mother a Persian. That collaborates centuries later with Roman poet and historian Ovid’s analysis when he said Northern Iranians (the Parthians, Scythians, Alans, Sarmatians, etc), were no different in appearance to the Celts and the Germanic tribes. The Roman author Ammianus Marcellinus, centuries earlier had stated the same. The few realistic art work we have of the Persians themselves done by Greek and Roman artists, depicts them as white, but dissimilar to the Greeks, and far more resembling the French, the Spaniards, and reveals them as Eastern European-like. Herodotus also noted that Xerxes was supposedly one of the most youthful in appearance and handsome men in Asia during his time, whatever that means. The most life-like depiction of ancient Persians are the “Bishapur art”, the wall and mosaic drawings done by Roman prisoners of war where they put their well-known talents to use and aided with decorating some newly constructed Persian palaces. In those, Persian women specifically and other female courtesans are depicted as almost pale with somewhat thick, flat eyebrows, with brown and black hair, very rarely some, including men, with red hair (as also depicted by Greek artists on the so-called Alexander’s sarcophagus and Sassanian floor fresco). The “Sassanian silver plates art”, also repeat the some of the same type of depictions, but since it was done by Persian artists, again many faces look similar, and have a symbolic quality to them to a certain extent, yet still a very good starting point. Other notable art include, “The Parthian solider” bust, (Greek-based), “The Dying Persian”, and “The Parthian statue”, a remarkable ancient Roman work of art with black marble used as the body, contrasting it with beige and black marble as his clothing and cape. Lastly, of importance are the many Parthian coins still in survival. Clean shaven (or not), and inspired by realistic portrayals unique to Hellenic art, Parthian kings and Princes with their Iranian weapons of choice, the bow and the arrow, look like Scandinavian war-lords, or at the very least are very Robinhood-like (see Arsaces I). Alexander’s northern Iranian wife who was after his death murdered by his mom or his men, was named Rukhshanaa (Roxana, Roxanne). In ancient Iranian and still today’s Persian, it means, shiny-faced, light-face. Back then, and even today in Iran, the more secluded a tribal group was/is, the “lighter-skinned” in appearance they are, something that again, is Specially true for some reason or the other with Iranian women, signaling lack of intermarriage. The indigenous peoples of the Iranian plateau, the Elamites, had beautiful olive-skin with long braided hairs, whom Persian royals went on to copy, as a form of fashion of the times, as well as borrowing their long robes with wide bejeweled sleeves. Their sophisticated culture was long established before the arrival of the Persians and other Iranian tribes. THE BOTTOM LINE? Northern Iranians aside, focusing strictly on the Persian tribes (Southern Iranians), THEY, resembled modern Albanians, Romanians, and modern Northern Italians, as well as very strongly, the Medieval Europeans (excluding Northern Europe). When you see an image of a Medieval European, from Hungary, Spain, and above all, France and Portugal, you are most likely coming very close to seeing the face of an ancient Persian. Accordingly, see the rock carving of the Khosrow II, an artistic work and an archeological piece 1000 years before the emergence of the Medieval Europe and the concept of the heavy armored worrier (the Chevalier, or the knight). It is also noteworthy to indicate the remnants of the Northern Iranians (the Alans and the Sarmatians) are still living today on the region of Ossetia-Alania in the Northern Caucasuses. Ancient Iranian tribes hailed from Ukraine by the way, at least that’s as far as we can tell. As the late Prof. Emeritus Richard Frye of Harvard noted, while the Iranians are not geographically Eastern Europeans, they are however, “The Europeans of the East”. Or according to encyclopedia Brittanica, “The name Persia derives from Parsa, the name of the Indo-European nomadic people who migrated into southern Iran…in about 1000 BCE”. It’s important to note that Persian imperial art itself in Persepolis and other places does NOT depict the Persians, or any other groups, realistically, as they all show a flat profile, with most faces looking very similar or almost identical. This was partially borrowed from the Assyrian and Babylonian empires who came before them, to portray a continuity and homogeneity of races. It was also an attempt to legitimize Persian rule, the world’s first Indo-European super power, who replaced thousands of years of semitic kingship (the Egyptians and the aforementioned civilizations). Let me repeat that one more time, ancient Persian art itself is NOT realistic, but more symbolic. Where the “Indo” suffix of the designation, Indo-European comes from is due to the fact that while some Iranians tribes where settling in their new homeland, in modern Iran, simultaneously other Iranic tribes invaded Northern India. That is why many Indic and ancient Iranian Gods and religious beliefs display similarities. The British scholar who coined the term thought that the related-European groups passed through the Hindu Kush mountains. Although at some point the old Aryans (Iranian tribes) who invaded India were fortunately, eventually absorbed by the indigenous Brahmin population. Otherwise we wouldn’t have the nation of India, as we know it today. Something that for anyone who is a lover of cultures, arts, mathematics and good food would be unimaginable. That’s ethnicity; linguistically Iranian languages are classified as the aforementioned Indo-European, which can in turn be termed as ancient English. Words like, mother, father, son, daughter (dokhtar). ponder (pendaar), nice (nik,neekoo, nikki; Greek: Nike), Jasmine (yaasamin), scarlet (saghalaat, see Merriam-Webster), Melchior, art (Old Pers.: arta), mind (manaa), grab (Avestan/Eastern Persian, grab), far (related to fara, ex: faravahar; fra, par-vaaz), being (boodan), is (hast), you, tiger (tighra; Merriam-Webster), it (een), Allan (Alan, Alania; from the Northern Iranian tribes who settled in modern day Scotland), Ariana (Arya, Aria, Aryan, Eire-aan, ultimately, “Iran”). Amazon (hama-zan; see “Sarmatians” in Brittanica; also Online Etymology Dictionary; also Adrienne Mayor, The National Geographic; also “The Early Amazons, JH Block, 1995), Caucasian (search engine: etymology of Caucasus), etc, are mostly still found in Farsi. I hope this was helpful.

[@kariannecrysler640]

Great video thanks! After reading some comments I wanted to suggest a video of the history of manners & etiquette. Or maybe a history of Mark Twain using his most famous quotes. I would hope the latter might improve their form, then I could stomach their opinions have worth from the whit alone.

[@janeappleseed2154]

hear, hear

[@thelikebutton3451]

Always wondered what Xerxes looked like with hair.

[@MinnesotaBeekeeper]

Unless you have a time machine, you still are.

[@frankperez1953]

Are he actors speaking ancient Greek or Modern??

[@harrydask88]

ancient

[@richardsanchez5444]

28:18 I saw another documentary that said it was about 200K

[@richardvangelder3666]

They fail to mention in this video that around 2100 Acradians, 1000 Lokrians, 1000 Phocians, 700 Thespians, 400 Corinthians and 900 Helots to fight in the final battle of Thermopylae! Hardly anybody mentions the other Greek soldiers that fought and die right alongside the 300 Spartans!

[@alexarnold6253]

Actually all historians talk about it. The Spartan 300 were the main force. They had slaves and Thebans and thesbians as well but still only in the couple of thousand. And in the end, when the main force retreated the Spartans stayed to cover that retreat. The Spartans went alone and some people showed up to help for a little bit. There were less than 1000 slaves for the Greeks there. Not exactly worth mentioning since they weren't really warriors.

[@joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536]

🌎👍❤

[@MinnesotaBeekeeper]

Basically bumper car battle at sea.

[@redsonya3088]

❤️

[@olliemoore7508]

Love the documentary but can't help to notice you refer to zeus as jupiter, read the original history so guessing that is a typo or someone making it who prefers roman history to Greek

[@TheColombiano89]

Fun fact: the Persians sacked Athens. This was a Persian victory.

[@alexarnold6253]

Well... No, they deserted Athens and then they went and wrecked some stuff. The Greeks waited in salamis. It was a setup to fight in their own terms. They didn't lose. They left before the Persians got there.

[@roberthultz9023]

If there was a sequel to this it would show the Athenians reoccupying their city and working night and day to rebuild the wallsl out of the rubble of their homes and temples. So; no - just a setback.

[@Mr.56Goldtop]

Are they speaking Ancient or modern Greek here?

[@anotheryoutubechannel4809]

First the Achaemenid Empire, then the Ottomans, then the migrants. 3rd times the charm.

[@TheWepwawet]

I love the level of hippocresy of the medic wars... lets fight for freedom (said the suave owner) and democracy (where only less than half the population can vote) against the tyrant (that we ask for help and repulse later) Who attacks us without reason (just because we betrayed them and help their enemies)... i just love it

[@alexarnold6253]

The Athenians didn't really do slaves like that. They were a democracy where you had to meet criteria to vote. And they weren't a true democracy, they were the first form of democracy. And the Persians broke many truces with the Greeks under their vassalage. The Greeks made a wartime truce and then the Persians expected full servitude. The Greeks said no, and even helped their ionian brothers attempt to free themselves. They weren't conquerors, the Athenians and the Spartans and all of the Greeks were very different peoples and governments and societies. There were literally hundreds of independent city states. So Athens was just one of them that finally had the balls and the ability to stop the Persians from dominating the entire world. The enemies of an empire is everyone. So pretty much helping anyone would be an enemy.

[@roberthultz9023]

Baby steps. Freedom was a pretty alien concept in the Iron Age.

[@DaneWarren]

Don’t like this video.

[@enalb5085]

way too much actors, not enough normal documentary

[@mistertoyou1]

Where in God's name did they find this oracle ? Weren't they supposed to be young and beautiful ?

[@powersturbo]

What’s with this crappy Lifetime weeknight movie format recently, where are the historians the archeology? Garbage!

[@msmarshamammons4458]

This'll make a little more about the things that had happened a long time ago in the community of the Greek World of the people who have been a lot different from the American people who have lived in the community of American freedom of the United States of America Nationality is. Please understand that we must be able to get together and pray about this one part of the message from this Time line History Tv. show.

[@ruthannegalera6594]

Whaaaat?

[@kariannecrysler640]

I agree. Communication and respect can grow good thing’s. Thank you for begging the conversation 😊👍

[@tonyesfandiari2123]

The worst and ugliest actors playing Persian- these actors can’t even speak the language- west is still using the same propaganda stories that Greece won that battle- despite the fact that Athena and rest of Greece burned to the ground and they all flow their homes - Greece was under Persian rules for three years after that battle- have fun telling yourself victory stories 😊

[@tonyesfandiari2123]

BTW- Trump won the election like Greeks won the battle!

[@arrow1414]

Yes in 479 Persia sacked Athens, for the second time within two years, about a year after the Battle of Salimas, but that does not mean the West is lying about the Greeks winning at Salamis. You can win a battle, several battles against a much larger force, but still lose the war. The two things aren't mutually exclusive. But yes this particular documentary does not mention Athens second burning, leaving the impression that the Persians never invaded again which is wrong. Oh and the actor playing Xerxes is rather good looking so I don't see the problem.

[@alejandrosakai1744]

They didn't cast Iranian actors to play them!

[@JayM409]

Xerxes took his fleet and went home. Half the army marched back, but many historian doubt they made it due to the difficulties in supplying them without the fleet. Their path into Greece was stripped bare. Their path back would have had no food whatsoever. A year after this sea battle the Persian army that remained in Greece was destroyed at Plataea. Only Northern Greece remained under their control, and they would throw off this control in time. They had every reason to celebrate.

[@wanderingnomad1]

Are they speaking modern Greek and Persian? It sounds like modern Persian.