Why did the Athenians beat the Persians?

Answer 1

In the early stages from 499 BCE when Persia dominated, they were able to use Greek inter-city rivalries and disunity, ease of bribing their leaders, and in the field, the superiority of their cavalry and the fleets, which latter they levied from Phoenecia, Egypt and the Ionian Greeks as well.

As the Greeks gained more cohesion and the will to combine for their common defence, they were able to consistently defeat the Persians on sea and land, until Persia agreed to peace in 449 BCE.

Answer 2

1. On land the Greek Hoplite being heavily armoured and fighting within a tightly knit phalanx formation gave the Greeks the military edge over their Persian counterparts. Their few successes were based on their use of cavalry, and on the use of bribery to weaken the cohesion of the Greek city-states.

2. At sea, the Greeks employed the superior strategy of superior strategy of fighting in enclosed waterways which negated the advantage of the larger and more numerous Persian ships.

Answer 3

They attacked the Persian infantry at Marathon while the Persian cavalry was absent, and with their armoured infantry were able to defeat the unarmoured Persian infantry.

Answer 4

The Persians fought wars for a couple of hundred years. Where did you have in mind?

Answer 5

Superior tactics using armoured warriors.