The
second Persian invasion of Greece (480–479 BC) occurred during the
Greco-Persian Wars, as King
Xerxes I of Persia sought to conquer all of Greece. The invasion was a direct, if delayed, response to the defeat of the
first Persian invasion of Greece (492–490 BC) at the
Battle of Marathon, which ended
Darius I's attempts to subjugate Greece. After Darius's death, his son Xerxes spent several years planning for the second invasion, mustering an enormous army and navy. The
Athenians and
Spartans led the Greek resistance, with some 70 city-states joining the 'Allied' effort. However, most of the Greek cities remained neutral or submitted to Xerxes.