Athens Was Burned Twice
During the Persian invasion of Greece, the city of Athens did not just fall once. It was captured, emptied, and then destroyed in two attacks in 480 and 479 BCE.Persian Destruction of Athens
First Xerxes Struck
After Thermopylae, Athens was left exposed, and most people fled to Salamis. A small group stayed on the Acropolis, the high fortified hill at the center of the city, but Xerxes' troops broke in, killed the defenders, and burned Athens.Persian Destruction of Athens
