499–449 BC
When the Achaemenid Persian Empire launched major invasions of mainland Greece, a shifting coalition of Greek city-states resisted at Marathon, Thermopylae, Salamis, Plataea, and elsewhere. Greek victories ended the invasions and became central to later Greek political and cultural memory, while the Persian Empire remained the dominant power across much of western Asia.
Chapter-by-chapter narrative with maps, primary sources, and key events.
Explore battles on a live map with a timeline slider and territory overlays.
Deep-dive into every major engagement — commanders, casualties, significance.
Biographical flip cards with real portraits, facts, and full biography pages.
Trace each figure's full life journey — birth, education, battles, and death — on a live map.
Scroll-driven visualization of casualties — each dot a thousand lives.
Weapons, war machines, and the military innovations that defined how this conflict was fought.
Cause-and-effect chains tracing the war's long shadow on history.
War crimes, massacres, and the darkest chapters of this conflict — documented for history.
When the Achaemenid Persian Empire launched major invasions of mainland Greece, a shifting coalition of Greek city-states resisted at Marathon, Thermopylae, Salamis, Plataea, and elsewhere. Greek victories ended the invasions and became central to later Greek political and cultural memory, while the Persian Empire remained the dominant power across much of western Asia.
The Persian Wars was fought from 499 to 449 BC.
The Persian Wars was fought between Greek City-States and Persian Empire.
An estimated 350,000 people died in The Persian Wars, including roughly 300,000 military and 50,000 civilian deaths. Figures are scholarly estimates and vary by source.
Major engagements included Battle of Plataea, Battle of Salamis, Battle of the Eurymedon, and Battle of Thermopylae.