Xerxes leads second Persian invasion of Greece from "summary" of The Histories by Herodotus
It was in the year 480 BC that Xerxes, the King of Persia, decided to launch a second invasion of Greece. This decision came after his predecessor, Darius, had failed in his attempt to conquer the Greeks a decade earlier. Xerxes was determined to succeed where Darius had faltered, and he amassed a massive army and navy to carry out his ambitious plan. Xerxes' invasion force was said to be the largest the world had ever seen up to that point. It consisted of soldiers and sailors from all corners of the vast Persian Empire, united under the banner of their king. The army was so vast that it was said to drink entire rivers dry as it passed through the lands on its way to Greece. The Persian fleet, too, was a sight to behold. It was made up of hundreds of warships, each manned by skilled sailors and armed with deadly weapons. The fleet was tasked with supporting the army as it made its way across the Aegean Sea towards Greece, providing supplies and reinforcements as needed. As Xerxes' forces crossed into Greek territory, they met with fierce resistance from the city-states of Athens and Sparta. The Greeks, though vastly outnumbered, fought bravely to defend their homeland from the Persian invaders. The battles that ensued were bloody and brutal, with both sides suffering heavy casualties. Despite the valiant efforts of the Greeks, Xerxes' forces proved to be too much for them to handle. City after city fell to the advancing Persians, until finally, the great city of Athens itself was captured and burned to the ground. The defeat of Athens was a major blow to Greek morale, but it only served to strengthen their resolve to continue fighting against the invaders. In the end, it was a combined Greek naval force that dealt the decisive blow to Xerxes' invasion. At the Battle of Salamis, the Greeks managed to outmaneuver and outfight the Persian fleet, sinking many of their ships and forcing the rest to retreat. This defeat at sea spelled the beginning of the end for Xerxes' grand ambitions in Greece. As Xerxes retreated back to Persia, he left behind a trail of destruction and devastation in his wake. The Greeks, though battered and bruised, had managed to repel the mighty Persian Empire once again. The second invasion of Greece had been a costly failure for Xerxes, one that would go down in history as a testament
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