波斯战争(前492～西元前449年)
Persian Wars，亦称波希战争（Greco-Persian Wars）。
希腊诸城邦与波斯的一系列战争，尤指西元前490及西元前480～479年波斯对希腊的两次入侵。西元前522年大流士一世在波斯当政後，安纳托利亚的爱奥尼亚希腊诸城邦处於波斯的控制之下，他们在爱奥尼亚叛变（西元前499～西元前494）中曾起而反抗但是失败。由於雅典曾支援叛乱，大流士以此为藉口进攻希腊本土（西元前492），但因为大部分部队被大风暴摧毁而撤回。西元前490年他又组织一支人数众多的部队在雅典附近登陆，在马拉松战役大败後撤退。西元前480年在薛西斯一世的率领下，波斯人再度侵略希腊以为上次的失败雪恨。这次所有的希腊人都团结起来，由斯巴达统领陆军，雅典统领海军。莱奥尼达斯（Leonidas）率领的斯巴达部队在温泉关一役中大败，使波斯军队前进到雅典，并将其洗劫一空（西元前480）。波斯舰队在萨拉米斯战役（Battle of Salamis）彻底失败後，薛西斯即撤回波斯。西元前479年薛西斯的军队在普拉蒂亚（Plataea）战败，被赶出希腊，海军在安纳托利亚海岸的米克利（Mycale）也遭到同样的命运。此後零星的战役持续了三十年，其间雅典人成立提洛同盟发起进攻以解放爱奥尼亚诸城邦，直到西元前449年「卡利亚斯和约」（Peace of Callias）才结束战争。
English version：
前492～西元前449年
Persian Wars
Series of wars between Greek states and Persia, particularly two invasions of Greece by Persia (490, 480-479). When Darius I came to power in Persia in 522, the Ionian Greek city-states in Anatolia were under Persian control. They rose up unsuccessfully in the Ionian revolt (499-494). The support lent by Athens provoked Darius to invade Greece (492). His fleet was destroyed in a storm. In 490 he assembled a huge army on a plain near Athens; his devastating defeat at the Battle of Marathon sent him back to Persia. In 480 the Persians under Xerxes I invaded Greece again, seeking to avenge the defeat. This time all Greece fought together, with Sparta in charge of the army and Athens of the navy. A band of Spartans under Leonidas was overcome at the Battle of Thermopylae, allowing the Persian army to reach Athens, which they sacked (480). When the Persian navy was soundly defeated at the Battle of Salamis, Xerxes withdrew it to Persia. His army was defeated at the Battle of Plataea in 479 and driven from Greece, and the navy met a similar fate at Mycale on the Anatolian coast. Sporadic fighting went on for 30 more years, during which Athens formed the Delian League to free the Ionians. The Peace of Callias (449) ended the hostilities.