Xerxes' Persian Navy: Phoenician Sailors at Salamis

The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History · Sep 18, 2026 · 10m · transcript

We often remember the Achaemenid Empire for its vast armies and monumental architecture, but Xerxes I’s invasion of Greece in 480 BCE relied heavily on a naval force that defies modern assumptions about Persian maritime power. While Greek hoplites fought on land, the sea was dominated by Phoenician sailors from cities like Sidon and Tyre, who provided the bulk of the fleet’s fighting ships. This episode explores how Darius I and his son Xerxes integrated these skilled mariners into the imperial structure, creating a diverse armada that included Ionian Greeks, Egyptians, and Cilicians. We look…