The Leaders

Darius The Great invaded Greece and lost at the Battle of Marathon, his son Xerxes took the throne before Darius could get around to attacking Greece again.
Darius's failure led to Xerxes's lusts for blood and was a factor in the gruesome Second…

Xerxes I carried his father's ambitions and invaded Greece, making it a lot further than his father did.
Xerxes was bloodthirsty and killed anyone in his path, leading to a deadly and brutal war against the Greek city-states.

King Leonidas gathered 300 royal guards and several thousand hoplites to hold the Persians at the Hot Gates of Thermopylae.
This heroic stand by an aging King (around 60 years old) against impossible odds gave the rest of Greece hope against the…

Themistocles of Greece was a General for Athens at the Battle of Marathon and all of the Second Persian Invasion, including decisive victories at Salamis and Plataea, but he was still at sea when the Persians sacked Athens.
Themistocles was regarded…

Mardonius (front soldier on the right side) took advantage of Themistocles's absence and sacked Athens, leading the Persian army from Thermopylae all the way till his death at Plataea.
Xerxes intrusted the Persian army to Mardonius when he fled back…

The Athenian Aristides (man in Green) was a strategos at the Battle of Marathon and was in charge of the Athenian army in Athens while Themistocles was battling the Persians at sea when Mardonius came to Athens seeking an ally. Aristides refused,…

Leotychidas was one of the two Kings, serving with Leonidas I and taking up arms against Persia after his fellow King's death. Leotychidas commanded 110 Spartan ships and forced the Persian fleet to beach at Mycale. He was a key factor in the victory…