Persian Invasion of 480 BC - articles

[hoplite14gr]

Hi Inaki,
The trirems numbers are archeological data that support and "inflate" Herodotus 200 trirems in Salamis.

At the time of the Delion Campaign there was also an army in with Demosthenes and Prokles -30 trirems -roughly 4500 to 6000 men supporting Athens allies in Western Greece (Battle of Olpi) and another 1000 hoplites and 600 archers operating in Chalkidiki. Thukidides gives also these numbers.So we are talking about 3 field armies of Athens at 426 B.C. That makes 10000 hoplites in Marthon more than likely.
There we cities equally big as Athems in Greece at the Persian Wars

So Greeks playing defence in their turf in 480 had access to 100000 defenders. They wouldnt have to move them across the Aegean at leat initially. There was a possibilty for Xerxes to face them all at a given point.
He did all he could to brake the alliances but he was not certain if they brake in the end. So he needed sufficient troops to overcome that number.

The to one superiority for the Attcker is amilitary dictum from the dawn of time.

Also the term companions in many instances has been asociated with elite troops amd royal bodyguards. Why the Persians would be an exception?

Kind regards