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April 480 BC. Xerxes I of the mighty Persian Empire sents foot on european soil with a massive host of over 200,000 men. After three months of marching in hostile terriotory the Persians have not encountered any resistance and are slowly, but surely making their way south, towards the Greek city-states they failed to conquer just a decade earlier. Back then a landing force of some 25,000 Persians was destroyed by an allied Greek army near Marathon while it was trying to establish a beachhead. In order to avoid a similar disaster and take full advantage of his superior cavalry force, Xerxes tries to attempt a land invasion, supported by a massive fleet.

Eventually the opposing forces meet at Thermopylae where the Greeks has set up defensive postions near a natural chockepoint. From this position the Greeks are able to resist the invaders for days, before they are flanked and utterly destroyed in a desperate last-stand battle which buys the retreating allied army suffient time to escape intact.
Meanwhile a series of naval engagements, known as the Battle of Artemisium takes place. The Greek fleet is tasked with protecting the fortifications at Thermopylae from sea-borne attacks, but as soon as they recieved word of the fate of King Leonidas and his men they withdraw to Salamis. The battle is inconclusive and both fleets remains largely intact.

The persian victory at Thermopylae means that all Boeotia fall to Xerxes and leaves Attica open to invasion. The remaining population of Athens is evacuated, with the aid of the Allied fleet, to Salamis. The Peloponnesian Allies begins to prepare a defensive line across the Isthmus of Corinth, building a wall, and demolishing the road from Megara, abandoning Athens to the Persians. Athens thus fall to the Persians with little resistance.

The remaining opposition that stands in the way for Xerxes have barricaded themselves behind the Isthmus of Corinth, the last line of defense for the Peloponnesian allies. Despite their successes the Persians are now faced with some serious problems. Thermopylae had shown that a direct assault against well defended Greek positions stands little chance of success, thus the Isthmus has to be circumnavigated. However, the Greek navy is still intact and makes such a move problematic, at best. Therefore the next strategical move for Xerxes is to remove the enemy navy once and for all, with the risk of losing his own force.
In the end the Persians are victorious, and claims full naval supremecy, while firmly isolating the Athenians.

At this point Xerxes now stands in a favorable positon where he can negoiate the surrender of several Peloponnesian cities, most prominently Argos, which he may even be able to use as a landing site.
What is the next Persian move, and what options do the Peloponnesian allies have at this point?
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