I voted for Marathon because in a way it proved to Greeks that defeating the Persians is possible. Also I think it played a major part in the decision of the rest of the Greeks to fight. The Spartans perhaps wouldn't be so willing to fight if they didn't feel that the Athenians - a city without great military prowess in their opinion at least - haven't "shown them" how it's done!
I prefer Salamis because it convinced Athens (and its enemies) that its strength lay in naval power, which in turn made the Perikles Era possible -- until Persian gold turned Spartan jealousy into the gravedigger of Greece. At another level I like Salamis because it produced the world's first famous woman admiral, Artemisia of Karia.
I voted for Marathon because in a way it proved to Greeks that defeating the Persians is possible. Also I think it played a major part in the decision of the rest of the Greeks to fight. The Spartans perhaps wouldn't be so willing to fight if they didn't feel that the Athenians - a city without great military prowess in their opinion at least - haven't "shown them" how it's done!
ReplyDeleteI prefer Salamis because it convinced Athens (and its enemies) that its strength lay in naval power, which in turn made the Perikles Era possible -- until Persian gold turned Spartan jealousy into the gravedigger of Greece.
ReplyDeleteAt another level I like Salamis because it produced the world's first famous woman admiral, Artemisia of Karia.