Persian Wars

There were hundreds of Greek city-states scattered around the Mediterranean and Sea littoral from present day Spain in the west to Asia Minor in the east.

The first phase was the Ionian Revolt 499 to 493 BCE involving the city-states of Asia Minor, aided by Eretria and Athens from mainland Greece.

So the answer to the quetion is 'several hundred Greek city states did not take part'. The same answer applies to the subsequent stages of the war.

The Battle of the Bulge.

Yes, they did. Regardless of how real the information was, the Greeks took it very seriously and based their military decisions on what they were told by the oracles. Even if the oracles were bribed, they still had a great impact on how the Greeks chose to fight the Persian Wars.

Athens turned the Delian League which it had led against the Persian Empire into an empire of its own, and used this power to try to oppress the other Greek city-states, leading to the devastating 27-year Peloponnesian War which it lost and it was stripped of its empire.

The Persian attempt to impose peace on the Greek city-states to stop their incessant wars amongst each other spilling over and disrupting the peace and prosperity of its empire failed. Waving driven back the Persians, the Greek city-states returned to their internal wars with increasing ferocity and devastation.

In 498 BCE the city-states of Eretria and Athens sent contingents to support the Ionian Revolt which had started the previous year.

A couple of hundred Greek city-states in the eastern Mediterranean, and the Persian empire's western province of Asia Minor.

Sparta and Athens were allies against Persia in the Persian War.

When the Persian force confronted the Athenian-Plataean force at Marathon, it sent its cavalry by sea to capture undefended Athens. After defeating the Persian infantry at Marathon, the Athenians realised what was happening and ran back the 26 miles to the city, just in time to confront the disembarking Persian cavalry, which, frustrated, went home.

They were already allies, Sparta had sent its army to aid the Athenians ward off the Persian attack in 490 BCE at Marathon (it arrived too late for the battle), and along with the rest of the southern Greek cities, they had a vested interest in uniting to repel the Persian invasion of 480 BCE which was aimed at bringing the Greek cities under local tyrants responsive to Persia.

Their empire was organised into 20 provinces each administered by a Persian governor responsible to the king and his council. Local government in the provinces was in the hands of the traditional city, tribal and petty princes.

By the Persian king Xerxes.

The main reason was expansion of the Persian Empire into the Greek city states of Asia Minor and by extension to Greece proper. Herodotus is the best classical source

First define the Second Persian War. The Persian War ran 499-449 BCE - it had several phases - Ionian Revolt, Persian punitive expedition against Eretria and Athens, Persian invasion of mainland Greece, Greek counter-offensive. Which among this are supposed to be 'First Persian War', Second Persian War' and 'Third Persian War' ?

The Persian Empire failed by never taking over Greece.

The Ionian Greek city-states within the Persian Empire revolted against Persian rule. mainland city-states Eretria and Athens intervened on their side, causing Persia to decide to take control of all the Greek city-states in order to prevent further disruption of peace and prosperity within their empire.

Technology advantages are not conclusive - a successful foe adapts strategies and tactics to even up the odds.

The Greek infantry had metal armour which gave them an unassailable advantage over the Persian infantry. The Persians therefore relied on their superior cavalry, which led the Greeks to keep to broken ground at the battle of Plataia. And Athens won at Marathon by seizing the opportunity of swooping down and defeating the Persian infantry while the Persian cavalry was being loaded onto ships.

The Persian warships were heavier and superior to the Greek ships, which led the Greeks to seek naval engagements in narrow waters were they could outmanoeuvre the Persia in their smaller faster ships an use rams to attack the Persians who relied on boarding. These tactics succeeded in the decisive battle of Salamis.

The Persians tried to avoid a straight out contest anyway, relying on the venality of the Greeks by bribing them - at the naval battle of Lade the bribed-half of the Ionian-Greek fleet left the battle and their allies to certain defeat; later Xerxes' invasion was preceded by emissaries with bags of gold, resulting in many of the northern Greek cites siding and fighting with him at Plataia.

After the Persian invasion was repelled, Athens led a coalition of cities to oppose Persia from 478 BCE. After thirty years, they cut a peace arrangement with Persia which left Athens in control of 200 Greek city-states it had led against the Persian Empire, and Athens turned this Delian League into an empire of its own, living high off the proceeds.

This led an over-confident Athens into a prolonged war against the other Greek states led by Sparta. This lasted 27 years, and was won by the Spartan-led Peloponnesian League after Persia got its revenge by financing a fleet for the League to defeat Athens' hitherto superior navy.

A peace was made with the Persian Empire. Athens converted the Delian League into an empire of its own and used the proceeds to enrich itself. It also used this power to intervene in the Greek cities outside this League, and this brought it into collision with the Peloponnesian League led by Sparta, resulting in the devastating 27-year Peloponnesian War. Athens lost, as stripped of its empire, and became a second rate power.

The Ionian city-states were induced to revolt against Persian rule, and it spread to mainland Greece. The major players were the Persian Empire and varying coalitions of Greek city-states led first by Sparta, then Athens.

The war lasted 50 years 499-449 BCE. The Persian aim was to bring the Greek city-startes under control to stop their incessant wars spilling over and destablising the Persian Empire. After initial successes, the Persians suffered a succession of defeats. They decided to make peace, secure their borders, and left the Greek city-states to continue to destroy each other.

It was the principal naval power in the Aegean Sea until its fleet was destroyed at Aigospotamai (Goat Rivers) in 405 BCE.

499-493 BCE Suppression of the Greek Ionian Revolt in Asia Minor.

490 BCE Failed Persian expedition against Eretria and Athens.

480-479 BCE Failed Persian invasion of mainland Greece.

478-449 BCE Sporadic battles, ending in Persians conceding an end to the war, leaving the Greek cities to go back to their usual fighting each other.

Yes, it sided withe the southern Greek forces opposing the Persian invasion.