The showdown between the ancient Greek city states and the Achaemenid Empire of Persia was one of the pivotal moments of ...

During the intervening year the Persian force, now led by the satrap Mardonius ... Almost every city in Greece had sent a contingent to support the effort, and in total they numbered approximately ...

Because of the help Athens and other cities had given the Ionians, the revolt provided the Persians with a perfect pretext to invade Greece itself.