First Persian Invasion of Greece - Aftermath

Aftermath

The defeat at Marathon ended for the time being the Persian invasion of Greece. However, Thrace and the Cycladic islands had been absorbed into the Persian empire, and Macedon reduced to a Persian vassal. Darius was still fully intent on conquering Greece, to secure the western part of his empire. Moreover, Athens remained unpunished for its role in the Ionian Revolt, and both Athens and Sparta were unpunished for their treatment of the Persian ambassadors.

Darius therefore began raising a huge new army with which he meant to completely subjugate Greece; however, in 486 BCE, his Egyptian subjects revolted, indefinitely postponing any Greek expedition. Darius then died whilst preparing to march on Egypt, and the throne of Persia passed to his son Xerxes I. Xerxes crushed the Egyptian revolt, and very quickly restarted the preparations for the invasion of Greece. This expedition was finally ready by 480 BCE, and the second Persian invasion of Greece thereby began, under the command of Xerxes himself.