Battle of Salamís

Battle of Salamís, important Greek naval victory in 480 bc, during the Persian Wars that halted the advance of Xerxes I, the King of Persia, and ended the Persian threat to Greek civilization. The battle occurred in a strait near the island of Salamís, not far from Athens. The Persians under Xerxes had been advancing with great success through Greece, and in 480 bc had captured Athens. Both Greek and Persian supplies were running low, and there was disagreement among the Greeks as to what their next move should be. Some advocated withdrawal to Corinth. However, the Athenian general Themistocles argued that it would be more effective to pursue an aggressive naval policy and hold their position. When he threatened to leave with the Athenian navy, the rest of the Greek force agreed to his plan. By some accounts, Themistocles then sent a secret message to Xerxes, saying that his Athenian navy was prepared to turn against the rest of the Greeks and that the Persians had only to attack to secure a victory. Xerxes, perhaps fooled by this ploy, attacked with his fleet of about 400 ships. When the Persian navy advanced, the fleet of about 380 Greek ships backed further into the bay, a tactical maneuver designed to draw in the Persians. Crowded in the narrow strait of Salamís, the Persian ships were rammed, sunk, or boarded by the Greeks for hand-to-hand combat. The battle was a decisive victory for the outnumbered Greeks, who lost only about 40 ships, compared to the more than 200 lost by the Persians.