Plataea is one of the many forgotten battles of the ancient world. A grand coalition of Greek city-states came together in a massive show of strength to oppose the Persian Empire. Nonetheless, the odds were still against the Greeks–as they had been at Marathon–at Thermopylae– at Salamis, and now, at Plataea. The Persians under King Xerxes had retreated with a significant part of their massive army, returning to their central power base in Sardis. Mardonius, as a general, is still quite capable of finishing the job his King had started a year before. Northern and Central Greece was still firmly under Persia’s control and wouldn’t break away as long as the Persians maintained a military presence in the region. Only through one last great united effort would the rivals of Athens and Sparta triumph at last over the vast numbers of Persia.

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