Plataea: The Battle That Ended the Persian Invasion

After the Greek naval victory at Salamis, the Persian invasion of Greece hung in the balance. Xerxes retreated, but his general Mardonius remained with a formidable army, wintering in Thessaly and then occupying Athens again. In 479 BC, the largest hoplite army ever assembled—led by the Spartan regent Pausanias and the Athenian Aristides—marched out to meet him near the small town of Plataea. What followed was a messy, chaotic, and brutally decisive battle that would end Persian ambitions in Greece for good. This episode walks through the strategic maneuvering, the critical role of the elite Spartan hoplites, the controversial behavior of the Thebans who sided with Persia, and the legendary (but likely mythical) tale of the Greek dead buried in mass tombs. We also explore how Plataea was remembered—or forgotten—compared to Marathon and Salamis. No ads, just history. #BattleOfPlataea #PersianWars #Mardonius #Pausanias #Aristides #Hoplites #Sparta #Athens #Thebes #479BC #AncientGreece #GreekHistory #HellenicLeague #Plataea #PersianEmpire #Xerxes #Herodotus #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo