Some wars and battles have turned the course of human history in a fundamentally new way. In fact, the impact of military factors has changed the course of history not only in the short term, but in the long term as well. Such were the Greco-Persian Wars, often simply called the Persian Wars. The Greek victory made possible the continued existence of a distinct Greek civilization and culture, exemplified by Periclean Athens in succeeding decades in the creation and development of a unique Western civilization.

We visit the legendary battlefields of Marathon, Thermopylae, Salamis and Plataea getting a memorable feeling by appreciating what hoplite battle meant for those involved. We study the campaigns and battles in detail trying to answer the reasons for Greek victory.