Allison Sermarini's Maps of the Ancient World

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Pre-Classical

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Map - 500�479 BC The Greek world during the Greco-Persian Wars1956 viewsThe first Persian invasion of Greece, during the Persian Wars, began in 492 BCE, and ended with the decisive Athenian victory at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BCE. The invasion, consisting of two distinct campaigns, was ordered by the Persian king Darius I primarily in order to punish the city-states of Athens and Eretria. These cities had supported the cities of Ionia during their revolt against Persian rule, thus incurring the wrath of Darius. Darius also saw the opportunity to extend his empire into Europe, and to secure its western frontier.
The first campaign in 492 BCE, led by Mardonius, re-subjugated Thrace and forced Macedon to become a client kingdom of Persia. However, further progress was prevented when Mardonius's fleet was wrecked in a storm off the coast of Mount Athos. The following year, having demonstrated his intentions, Darius sent ambassadors to all parts of Greece, demanding their submission. He received it from almost all of them, except Athens and Sparta, both of whom executed the ambassadors. With Athens still defiant, and Sparta now effectively at war with him, Darius ordered a further military campaign for the following year.
The second campaign, in 490 BCE, was under the command of Datis and Artaphernes. The expedition headed first to the island Naxos, which it captured and burnt. It then island-hopped between the rest of the Cycladic Islands, annexing each into the Persian empire. Reaching Greece, the expedition landed at Eretria, which it besieged, and after a brief time, captured. Eretria was razed and its citizens enslaved. Finally, the task force headed to Attica, landing at Marathon, en route for Athens. There, it was met by a smaller Athenian army, which nevertheless proceeded to win a remarkable victory at the Battle of Marathon.
This defeat prevented the successful conclusion of the campaign, and the task force returned to Asia. Nevertheless, the expedition had fulfilled most of its aims, punishing Naxos and Eretria, and bringing much of the Aegean under Persian rule. The unfinished business from this campaign led Darius to prepare for a much larger invasion of Greece, to firmly subjugate it, and to punish Athens and Sparta. However, internal strife within the empire delayed this expedition, and Darius then died of old age. It was thus left to his son Xerxes I to lead the second Persian invasion of Greece, beginning in 480 BCE

Map - Lydian Empire1284 viewsBrown - Middle of the 6th century at the time of King Croesus
Red Line - 7th C. BC, roughly from 690 to 546 BC

Map - 606-500 BC Ancient Empires of the East2421 views

Map - 700 - 600 BC The Beginnings of Historic Greece1666 views

Map - Map of the World According to Strabo940 views

Map - Celts in Europe1113 views

Map - Celts in the 3rd century BC1066 views

Map - Hallstatt and La T�ne Cultures1113 views

Map - 1300 BC The Hittite Empire at the height of its power (red), bordering on the Egyptian Empire (green)803 viewsThe Hittite Empire at the height of its power (red), bordering on the Egyptian Empire (green), c. 1300 BC .

Map - Geography of the Odyssey and Form of the Earth According to Homer993 views

Map - 1450 BC Mycenean Greece, Egypt, Mesopotamia, etc. 1093 viewsThe period of Mycenean Greece ran from about 1600-1100 B.C. and ended with the Greek Dark Age. This is the period described in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. At the end of the Mycenean period, writing was abandoned.

Map - 1450 BC Nile Delta 728 views

Map - 1450 BC Mycenean Greece and the Orient875 views

Map - 490 BC Persian Empire889 viewsPersian Empire, 490 BC, showing route of Cyrus the Younger, Xenophon, and the 10,000. At the time of Xenophon, The Persian Empire had already lost its foothold in European Thrace, and many Greek cities on the coast of Asia Minor were independent of Persian rule.

Map - The Assyrian Empire and the Region about the Eastern Mediterranean, 750 - 625 B.C.596 viewsThe Assyrian Empire and the Region about the Eastern Mediterranean, 750 - 625 B.C.

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