27th of August 479 BC: the battle of Mycale

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This particular battle had the Greeks city-states coalition confronting the Persian army of Xerxes the 1st on the Mycale mount in Ionia. It was a victory for the Greeks during the 2nd Greco-Persian war. The Mycale mount is situated in front of the island of Samos. This particular episode of the Greco-Persian war was first consigned into history by Herodotus. It opposed a greek contingent force constituted of Sparta, Trezene and Athens led by Leotychidas 11 of Sparta and Xanthippe of Athens (about 40,000 men) against divisions of the persian army (about 60,000 men) led by Tigranes and whowas helped by the Samiens of the island of Samos. Both the Greeks and the Persians had grounded their vessels to lead a land battle. The Greeks Athenian, Corinthians and Trezene troops were on the right flank while the Spartans were on the left flank when they both approached the Persian land camp. The right flank started combat against the Greeks before the left flank had time to arrive. The Persians resisted well at the beginning but finally tired out and broke rank while trying to flee. The left Greek flank arrived just in time to help defeat the Persians. After this victory along with the Plataea victory, there came the end to the second Persian invasion of Greece. During the next years, the Greeks, particularly the Delos ligue, expulsed the Persians from Macedonia and Thrace, from the Aegean sea and Inonia. Finally, the Callias peace treaty was signed in 449 BC marking the end of a half a century of warring...