The Achaemenid Empire had a pretty impressive string of those in its dealings with Ancient Greece:
I. Late 6th century BC. Ambassadors of the newly established Athenian democracy show up in Sardis, asking to become tributaries in exchange for protection for their new regime. Persia has the opportunity to get a great new beachead in Europe and to harness whatever strenght this democracy thing might have to its advantage. The only downside is that the familly of the former tyrants of Athens, currently in exile at the Persian court, won't be happy but, frankly, who cares? The Great King can always give them a nice governorship somewhere else if they feel bad for them...
Instead of accepting the Persians insist that the Athenians take back their former tyrants as part of the deal, pretty much defeating the purpose from an Athenian pov, turning a potential new tributarie in a state that would be leary of Persia and opening the possibility that the political energy behind this democracy thing might one day turn against Persia.
II. Fast forward about thirth years later, said political have turned out to do just that, playing a key role in the beginning of the Ionian Revolt, and Athens has sent a fleet to help the Ionians. Once the revolt has been crushed the Persian corps sent in a punitive expedition was slaughtered at Marathon. The commercial embargo launched against Athens after has also not really worked, as they have managed to redirect their commerce westward and found a silver mine in Laurion, they are now building a nice new fleet. Between the troubles the Ionians have caused and Marathon it is pretty clear the Hellenes could be trouble if they ever get toguether.
Thankfully they are super divided and the Ionian revolt did get crushed, after all, so the Great King is free to turn its attention to other directions, more important ones for Persia's security (such as Central Asia) or promising greater economic gains for conquests (such as India).
Instead, it turn out that Xerxes eventually decided to muster a massive fleet and army to throw them at not just Athens but the whole of Hellas, to show everybody who is boss.
III. Fast forward another thirty years and things haven't really turned out as expected for the Persians... The Spartan hoplites have turned out to be THAT good and Athens' nice new fleet of three decades is now downright legendary for being borderline invincible. The invasion fleet was smashed at Salamis and Mycale and the elite of Persians forces were slaughtered at Platea. The Athenians then proceded to take over the former Persian subjects in Ionia and in the Aegean, wage war alone against Persia and win, forcing the Persians to recognise the loses in territories.
This suck for the Persians, there is no two ways about it, but it isn't the end of the world. Attempts of other provinces to break off, usually with Helenic assistance, have been mostly dealt with and Persia can make up for its looses in other regions which, once again, should have been more important to them then the Aegean. Basically, the Hellenes are only THAT important to the Great King because he make them. If the events have shown anything is that the Hellenes are now better left alone and there is no reason not to do it.
IV. Fast forward a bit less then another century and a half, have the Persians done that? Nope, instead they have meddled in the Peloponesian War in exchange for getting the Ionian cities back and when the Spartans predictably reneged on their part of the deal they proceeded to then help then Athenians get back on their feets, but then Athens was recovering a bit too fast for their comfort and they turned to Sparta again...
As part of their manoeuver to keep the Hellenes of Old Helas to ever challenge Persian domination of Ionia again a series of Great Kings have spent far more ressources then what Ionia gave them in the first place. Moreover, and far more importantly, Persia's actions have lead to a current of opinion in Old Hellas according to which the Hellenes should stop fight against each other and instead unite against the Persians. This was both a frankly predictable turn of events and a very dangerous one, as the last war between the Greek cities of the mainland and Persia has demonstrated that the later might very well loose. Without that current of opinion Philip II of Macedon would have probably faced a far more dogged resistance too.
Then, in 334 BC Alexander crossed into Asia...
I. Late 6th century BC. Ambassadors of the newly established Athenian democracy show up in Sardis, asking to become tributaries in exchange for protection for their new regime. Persia has the opportunity to get a great new beachead in Europe and to harness whatever strenght this democracy thing might have to its advantage. The only downside is that the familly of the former tyrants of Athens, currently in exile at the Persian court, won't be happy but, frankly, who cares? The Great King can always give them a nice governorship somewhere else if they feel bad for them...
Instead of accepting the Persians insist that the Athenians take back their former tyrants as part of the deal, pretty much defeating the purpose from an Athenian pov, turning a potential new tributarie in a state that would be leary of Persia and opening the possibility that the political energy behind this democracy thing might one day turn against Persia.
II. Fast forward about thirth years later, said political have turned out to do just that, playing a key role in the beginning of the Ionian Revolt, and Athens has sent a fleet to help the Ionians. Once the revolt has been crushed the Persian corps sent in a punitive expedition was slaughtered at Marathon. The commercial embargo launched against Athens after has also not really worked, as they have managed to redirect their commerce westward and found a silver mine in Laurion, they are now building a nice new fleet. Between the troubles the Ionians have caused and Marathon it is pretty clear the Hellenes could be trouble if they ever get toguether.
Thankfully they are super divided and the Ionian revolt did get crushed, after all, so the Great King is free to turn its attention to other directions, more important ones for Persia's security (such as Central Asia) or promising greater economic gains for conquests (such as India).
Instead, it turn out that Xerxes eventually decided to muster a massive fleet and army to throw them at not just Athens but the whole of Hellas, to show everybody who is boss.
III. Fast forward another thirty years and things haven't really turned out as expected for the Persians... The Spartan hoplites have turned out to be THAT good and Athens' nice new fleet of three decades is now downright legendary for being borderline invincible. The invasion fleet was smashed at Salamis and Mycale and the elite of Persians forces were slaughtered at Platea. The Athenians then proceded to take over the former Persian subjects in Ionia and in the Aegean, wage war alone against Persia and win, forcing the Persians to recognise the loses in territories.
This suck for the Persians, there is no two ways about it, but it isn't the end of the world. Attempts of other provinces to break off, usually with Helenic assistance, have been mostly dealt with and Persia can make up for its looses in other regions which, once again, should have been more important to them then the Aegean. Basically, the Hellenes are only THAT important to the Great King because he make them. If the events have shown anything is that the Hellenes are now better left alone and there is no reason not to do it.
IV. Fast forward a bit less then another century and a half, have the Persians done that? Nope, instead they have meddled in the Peloponesian War in exchange for getting the Ionian cities back and when the Spartans predictably reneged on their part of the deal they proceeded to then help then Athenians get back on their feets, but then Athens was recovering a bit too fast for their comfort and they turned to Sparta again...
As part of their manoeuver to keep the Hellenes of Old Helas to ever challenge Persian domination of Ionia again a series of Great Kings have spent far more ressources then what Ionia gave them in the first place. Moreover, and far more importantly, Persia's actions have lead to a current of opinion in Old Hellas according to which the Hellenes should stop fight against each other and instead unite against the Persians. This was both a frankly predictable turn of events and a very dangerous one, as the last war between the Greek cities of the mainland and Persia has demonstrated that the later might very well loose. Without that current of opinion Philip II of Macedon would have probably faced a far more dogged resistance too.
Then, in 334 BC Alexander crossed into Asia...
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