Persian invasion

The Persian invasion refers to the period when the Persian Empire, under rulers like Cyrus the Great and later Darius I, expanded into the Greek city-states around the 5th century BCE. This involved large military campaigns aimed at conquering territories in Asia Minor and Greece. Notably, the Greco-Persian Wars included battles such as Marathon and Thermopylae. The invasions challenged Greek independence and led to a series of conflicts that ultimately strengthened Greek culture and identity. The invasions are significant in history because they marked the rise of Persia as a dominant empire and the resilience of Greek city-states.