22 September – On this day

Themistocles defeated the navy of Xerxes, using a ruse to force the engagement that was not universally desired by his Greek allies. Some of the Greek forces, notably the Spartans apparently wanted to retreat to the Isthmus of Corinth and defend the lower part of Greece there. Themistocles ‘leaked’ a message that the Greek fleet was going to make a run for it, leading the much larger Persian fleet to try to engage before they could. Unfortunately for them, Themisocles had drawn them into a narrow channel where the superior Persian numbers worked against them (mimicking the tactics at Thermopylae) leading to an important Greek victory.

 

 

 

Featured image: “Kaulbach, Wilhelm von – Die Seeschlacht bei Salamis – 1868” by Wilhelm von Kaulbach – [1]. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons