The effects of the Persian Wars
As a result of the Persian wars, most of the Persian fleet was destroyed.
The Persian army retreated from Greece.
We learned that Greek poleis often fought against each other, unless they had a common enemy.
Well, that common enemy was now gone. So the Greek poleis started again to fight amongst themselves. Sparta and Athens even fought a long and bloody war which left both cities weakened.
In the meantime, a new power arose north of Greece. King Philip II of Macedon rose to power and, in
338 BC, he rode south and conquered the cities of Thebes and Athens, uniting most of Greece under his rule.
But it was his son, Alexander, who would lead the Greeks into a whole new adventure...