Xerxes had spent years planning his invasion of Greece. It was to be his 'divine punishment' for his father Darius' crushing defeat at Marathon in 490 BC. Now, a decade later, he had spared no ...

In the battle that followed, the Persian armada was devastated. The Greeks lost 40 ships, the Persians 200. Unable to keep his land army supplied Xerxes was forced to flee back to his empire ...