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A small force of Athenians and Eretrians captured the old Lydian capital of Sardis (then a Persian administrative center), but were later overwhelmed by the size of the large Persian army and defeated.
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Darius I attempts to extend Persian rule into Greece. Cyrus's conquest of Lydia made Darius I (Persian king) ruler of Greek-speaking cities on eastern coast of Aegean Sea known as the Ionians, but they never followed the king's orders. Between 499-494 B.C.E., the Greeks wages a war for Independence known as the Ionian revolt.
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In the Summer of 490 B.C.E., Darius I launched a preemptive strike against Athens and Eretia to teach the upstart poleis a lesson. 20,000 soldier crossed the Aegean Sea and sacked Eretia to the ground, sending their population into captivity in Persia.
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Athenians defeat the Persians and deal Darius I a major setback of his reign. As a result, the military formation known as the phalanx proved to be superior. There was also a huge increase in confidence towards Athenian superiority over the barbarians and towards superiority of Athenian democracy.
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Xerxes attempts to avenge his father's loss, but the resistance led by Athens and Sparta forced him to retreat, compelling the Persians to recognize they've reached the limits of their expansion.
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Xerxes invades Greece with a fleet of 600 ships. Many Greek poleis surrendered immediately, but Athens, Sparta, Corinth, and other poleis formed a Hellenic League.
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Major Persian offensive was held at bay for three days when outnumbered Greek allies, under leadership of Sparta, confronted Xerxes at mountain pass of Thermopylae. The Spartans defense ultimately failed, but their sacrifice of 300 warriors allowed Athenian warships to inflict heavy losses on the Persians.
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Persians were defeated at battle of Salamis, which was the major turning point in the war. The Persians were running out of supplies from damaged fleet and their military tactics (cavalry and chariots) were not adapted for rocky terrain of Greece.
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In the Spring of 479 B.C.E., the Greek army met the Persians on a favorable terrain and once again prevailed. Against all odds, the poleis defeated the greatest army in the world.
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About a half-century after the Persian Wars, Athens emerged as the leader of the Delian League. This league consisted of poleis whose representatives pledged to continue the war against Persia.
