Greece
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Themistocles
Athens, Greece
Archival Overview
Athenian statesman and naval strategist whose foresight convinced Athens to construct a 200-trireme battle fleet, resulting in the preservation of Greek civilization at the naval Battle of Salamis.
Biographical Record
Themistocles (c. 524–459 BCE) recognized that the survival of Greece against the massive Persian invasion of King Xerxes depended entirely upon maritime supremacy. Persuading Athenians to invest the revenues from the silver mines of Laurium into naval defense, he forged the Athenian wooden wall.
At the Battle of Salamis in 480 BCE, he lured the vastly larger Persian armada into the cramped straits, delivering a catastrophic defeat that forced Xerxes to retreat to Asia and cemented the golden age of classical Athens.
Key Life Milestones
The Battle of Salamis
Lured the Persian fleet into the narrow straits of Salamis, obliterating 200 enemy ships and turning the war.
Memorial Guestbook & Tributes
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Final Resting Place
Perpetual MemorialMagnesia on the Maeander, Turkey