"Trust to the wooden wall... Divine Salamis, thou shalt destroy the children of women."
Based on Herodotus, The History, Book VIII
The Greek resistance relied heavily on naval supremacy. While Sparta held the command under Eurybiades to maintain unity, the data clearly shows Athens provided the bulk of the power. Explore the fleet composition at the two critical engagements: Artemisium and Salamis.
Total Ships: 271
Commander: Eurybiades (Sparta)
Key Insight: Athens provided 127 ships, nearly half the fleet, yet yielded
command to avoid
civil strife.
Hover over the chart segments to see specific ship counts per city-state.
The progression from the indecisive engagements at Artemisium to the total evacuation of Attica.
North Euboea
The Greeks panic and plan to retreat. The Euboeans give Themistocles 30 talents to keep the fleet there. He bribes Eurybiades (5 talents) and Adeimantus (3 talents) to stay, keeping the rest.
The Hollows of Euboea
Persians send 200 ships around Euboea to trap the Greeks. A massive storm destroys them all. Herodotus claims this was divine intervention to "level the forces."
Attica & The Acropolis
Xerxes enters a deserted Athens. The "Wooden Wall" defenders on the Acropolis are massacred. The temples are burned. The sacred olive tree, however, sprouts a new shoot the next day—a sign of survival.
Salamis
Peloponnesians want to retreat to the Isthmus. Themistocles threatens to sail the Athenians to Italy if they do. He argues that fighting in the narrow straits negates Persian numbers.
The Greeks were cornered, outnumbered, and divided. Victory required not just bravery, but cunning. Themistocles forced the engagement through deception.
"When men counsel reasonably, reasonable success ensues; but when in their counsels they reject reason, God does not choose to follow the wanderings of human fancies." — Themistocles
Explore the key moves that defined the battle by clicking the cards below.
*Exact numbers vary by source, but the disproportionate loss is historically agreed upon.
Following the victory, the Greek commanders gathered at the altar of Neptune to vote for the man who had shown the most merit. The result perfectly illustrates the Greek character: immense pride tempered by begrudging respect for genius.
Each commander was given two votes: one for First Place, one for Second.
"Envy hindered the chiefs from coming to a decision... Nevertheless Themistocles was regarded everywhere as by far the wisest man of all the Greeks."
Fearing the Greeks would destroy the Hellespont bridges, Xerxes fled. He left Mardonius with 300,000 picked men to winter in Thessaly.
Artabazus besieged Potidaea. A massive tide (attributed to Neptune) drowned his forces, forcing a retreat.
Mardonius offered peace. Athens replied: "So long as the sun keeps his present course, we will never join alliance with Xerxes."