Battle of Mycale 479 BCE

After their Salamis defeat, the Persian fleet sailed towards Asia Minor in 479 BCE. En route they ‘rested’ off Samos island in Persian-occupied Ionia (modern Turkey). However, the tyrant ruler of Samos, Theomestor, who had fought against the Persians at Salamis, alerted the Greek fleet, still stationed at Salamis, to the Persian presence. The fleet, determined to crush the Persians, sailed east. Meanwhile, having sighted allied advancing ships, the Persian fleet tried to flee, but their ships became stuck in silt. Beaching their fleet, they returned to the mainland, opposite the island of Samos, where they joined Persian land forces and created a stockade. The Greek fleet landed their forces in a bay near Priene at Mycale. From here, they moved their left wing along the beach and routed the Persian camp. The Greek right wing, after advancing through hills and ravines, attacked from above. The surviving Persians retreated, only to be slain by local Ionians.