Battle of Ephesus (498 BC)

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Battle of Ephesus

Part of the Ionian Revolt & Persian Wars

Date	498 BC
Location	Ionia
Result	Persian victory

Combatants

Ionia

Persia

Commanders

Charopinos

Artaphernes

Greco-Persian Wars
1st Naxos – Sardis – Ephesus – Lade – 2nd Naxos – Eretria – Marathon – Thermopylae – Artemisium – Salamis – Potidea – Olynthus – Plataea – Mycale – Sestus – Byzantium – Eion – Doriskos – Eurymedon – Pampremis – Prosoptis – Salamis in Cyprus

The Battle of Ephesus (498 BC) was a battle in the Ionian Revolt. It saw the satrap Artaphernes defeating the forces of the Ionian rebels in revenge for the sacking of Sardis.

1 Background
2 Battle of Ephesus
3 Aftermath
4 Sources

[edit] Background

The Ionian Greeks, subjected to the mighty Persian Empire at the time, had risen up against the Persians at the instigation of Aristagoras of Miletus. After inciting the Ionians to revolt, he had travelled to a number of Greek cities asking for aid. Sparta had refused to lend any support but Athens agreed to send 20 ships and Eretria, who owed a debt of honour to the Milesians, sent 5 ships. The combined army of Ionians, Athenians and Eretrians had sacked Sardis and burned it. Aristagorus had not accompanied the army on this mission but had remained at Miletus and entrusted the command of the Ionians to his brother, Charopinos and another citizen named Hermophantos. During the sacking of Sardis, the Persians had offered resistance, and the Ionians and their allies had retreated to their ships at Ephesus.

[edit] Battle of Ephesus

After the destruction of Sardis, Artaphernes, who had managed to shelter in the acropolis of Sardis together with a strong garrison during the siege, gathered a Persian army to pursue the rebels - including possibly recalling the army which was besieging Miletus. He then followed closely behind the retreating Greeks to Ephesus, which was about three days march from Sardis. The Greeks formed up outside the walls to meet the attack, rather than endure a siege but the Persians were victorious. Many of the Greeks were killed, including Eualcides, who was commanding the Eretrian forces.

[edit] Aftermath

The Ionian revolt was not crushed at this battle and would continue for a further four years before finally being put down by the Persians. However, the battle of Ephesus marked the end of Athenian involvement in the rebellion as they refused all further calls for support from Aristagoras'. This did not, however, save Athens from being marked for destruction, along with Eretria, by the Persian king, Darius.