Mardonius passed the winter quietly in Thessaly, preparing
for the spring campaign. The Greeks in their turn made a final effort. A strong
Spartan army, supported by the Athenians and their allies, met the Persians near
the little town of Plataea in Boeotia. Here the heavy-armed Greek soldiers,
with their long spears, huge shields, and powerful swords, easily overcame the
enormous masses of the enemy. The success at Plataea showed how superior to the
Persians were the Greeks in equipment, leadership, and fighting power. At the
same time as this battle the remainder of the Persian fleet suffered a crushing
defeat at Mycale, a promontory off the Ionian coast. These two battles really
ended the war. Never again was Persia to make a serious effort to secure
dominion over Continental Greece.
VICTORIUS HELLAS
The Great Persian War was much more than a conflict
between two rival states. It was a struggle between East and West; between
Oriental despotism and Occidental individualism. On the one side were all the
populous, centralized countries of Asia; on the other side, the small,
disunited states of Greece. In the East was the boundless wealth, in men and
money, of a world-wide empire. In the West were the feeble resources of a few
petty communities. Nevertheless Greece won. The story of her victory forms an
imperishable record in the annals of human freedom.
