In this activity, students will examine the events leading to the Battle of Salamis in 480 BC, from the Second Persian Invasion and the resistance at Thermopylae to the evacuation of Athens and the formation of the Greek naval strategy. They will explore how Themistocles’ deception and the tactical use of the straits allowed a smaller Greek fleet to defeat the numerically superior Persian navy, and consider the consequences of the battle for both the Greek world and the Persian Empire.

It has 13 questions for students to answer, as well as a paragraph response section for them to demonstrate their understanding of the topic.