阳金猴年 (male Iron-Monkey) −353 or −734 or −1506 — to — 阴金鸡年 (female Iron-Rooster) −352 or −733 or −1505
The Persian invasion of Greece in 480–479 BC
Year480 BC was a year of thepre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as theYear of the Consulship of Vibulanus and Cincinnatus (or, less frequently,year 274Ab urbe condita). The denomination 480 BC for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when theAnno Dominicalendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.
May – King Xerxes I of Persia marches from Sardis and onto Thrace and Macedonia.
The Greek congress decides to send a force of 10,000 Greeks, including hoplites and cavalry, to theVale of Tempe, through which they believe the Persian army will pass. The force includesLacedaemonians led by Euanetos andAthenians underThemistocles. Warned byAlexander I of Macedon that the vale can be bypassed elsewhere and that the army of Xerxes is overwhelming, the Greeks decide not to try to hold there and vacate the vale.
August 20 orSeptember 8-10 – TheBattle of Thermopylae ends in victory for thePersians under Xerxes. His army engulfs a force of 300Spartans and 700Thespiae under theSpartan King,Leonidas I. TheGreeks under Leonidas resist the advance throughThermopylae of Xerxes' vast army. For two days Leonidas and his troops withstand thePersian attacks; he then orders most of his troops to retreat, and he and his 300-member royal guard fight to the last man.
KingAlexander I of Macedon is obliged to accompany Xerxes in a campaign throughGreece, though he secretly aids the Greek allies. With Xerxes' apparent acquiescence, Alexander seizes the Greekcolony ofPydna and advances his frontiers eastward to theStrymon, taking inCrestonia andBisaltia, along with the rich silver deposits of Mount Dysorus.
August – ThePersians achieve a naval victory over theGreeks in anengagement fought nearArtemisium, a promontory on the north coast ofEuboea. The Greek fleet holds its own against thePersians in three days of fighting but withdraws southward when news comes of the defeat atThermopylae.
September 22 – TheBattle of Salamis brings victory to theGreeks, whoseAthenian generalThemistocles lures thePersians into the Bay of Salamis, between theAthenian port-city ofPiraeus and the island ofSalamis. The Greektriremes then attack furiously, ramming or sinking manyPersianvessels and boarding others. TheGreeks sink about 200Persianvessels while losing only about 40 of their own. The rest of thePersian fleet is scattered, and as a result Xerxes has to postpone his planned land offensives for a year, a delay that gives the Greek city-states time to unite against him.Aeschylus fights on the winning side.
An eclipse of the sun discourages the Greek army from following up the victory ofSalamis. Xerxes returns toPersia leaving behind an army underMardonius, which winters inThessaly.
The Romans achieve a significantvictory againstVeii after a close-fought battle. Tensions between the Roman classes flare during the battle.Quintus Fabius and the consulManlius perish in the fighting.
Xerxes encourages the Carthaginians to attack the Greeks in Sicily. Under the Carthaginian military leader,Hamilcar,Carthage sends across a large army.
The Greek city ofHimera inSicily, in its quarrel withAkragas, enlists Carthaginian support. With the help ofGelo, thetyrant ofSyracusae, and Theron of Akragas, the Carthaginians are defeated in theBattle of Himera. After the defeat, Hamilcar kills himself.
