Persian Sack of Athens: What Happened
In September 480 BC, after breaking through at Thermopylae, the army of the Persian king Xerxes marched into Attica and captured Athens. The Athenians had already made a dramatic decision. Following the advice of Themistocles and an oracle from Delphi that told them to trust in wooden walls, which he interpreted as their ships, they evacuated the city. Women, children and the elderly were sent to Troezen, Aegina and Salamis, and the men of fighting age boarded the fleet. Only a small group stayed behind to defend the Acropolis, barricading it with wooden walls. The Persians took the Acropolis, killed the defenders and burned the temples, including the older temple of Athena that stood where the Parthenon would later rise. Xerxes had achieved his goal of punishing Athens for the burning of Sardis. Yet the destruction became a turning point. Days later, the Greek fleet won at Salamis, and the Athenians returned to rebuild. The ruins of the burned temples were later buried, and the great building program of Pericles rose in their place.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Persians burn Athens?
The Persians captured and burned Athens in September 480 BC, after breaking through at Thermopylae. They returned and damaged the city again in 479 BC before their defeat at Plataea.
Why did the Athenians abandon their city?
Following Themistocles and an oracle telling them to trust in wooden walls, which he interpreted as ships, the Athenians evacuated the city and prepared to fight at sea.
What happened to the Acropolis?
The Persians stormed the Acropolis, killed the small group of defenders and burned its temples, including the older temple of Athena that stood where the Parthenon was later built.
Where did the people of Athens go?
Women, children and the elderly were sent to Troezen, Aegina and Salamis, while men of fighting age joined the fleet. They returned after the Greek victories.
How did the sack of Athens lead to the Parthenon?
The ruined temples were later buried, and under Pericles, Athens launched a great building program on the Acropolis, including the Parthenon, to replace what the Persians had destroyed.
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