ABSTRACT
Philosophy began on the Ionian coast of Asia Minor with the fifth century BC. the center of philosophical inquiry became the city-state of Athens. The Persian Empire overran the Ionian colonies, forcing Greek philosophers there to flee to Athens. In 499 BC. the remaining Greeks in Ionia, supported by Athens, rebelled against their Persian overlords. The Persian king, Darius, used the unsuccessful rebellion as a pretext to attack the Greek mainland. The Persian Wars, as they are now known, lasted about fifty years, though most of the fighting took place between 490 and 479 BC. While the specifics of the war are fascinating and the names of major battles such as those at Marathon and Thermopylae are still famous. The upshot of the conflict, however, was astounding: The vastly outnumbered Greeks, led by the Athenians, defeated the Persians. In the years following the Persian Wars, Athens blossomed. Artists, sculptors, architects, playwrights, poets, and philosophers found a haven there.
