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[[File: Ionian four.jpg|200px|thumb|left| 18th-century painting of the great Ionian philosopher Heraclitus]]
==The End of the Ionian Enlightenment==
Ionia was one of the cradles of western philosophy and science <ref> Russell, Bertrand. History of Western Philosophy (New York, Simon, and Schuster, 1999), p 12</ref>. Traditionally the Ionian cities, was where Greek science and philosophy began. This was due to the wealth of the city-states, freedom of thought and the influence of Babylon and Egypt intellectual traditions. Here for the first time in the West, individuals offered explanations for the origin of the world without recourse to some deity <ref>Russel, p 14</ref>. They used reason and observation to develop theories on the nature of the world. Thales from Miletus (6th century BC) was probably the first philosopher and scientist in the western tradition. He argued that life came from the sea and was also an astronomer and he successfully predicted an eclipse. The philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras came from Samos. Xenophanes was another important philosopher who criticized Greek polytheism and was arguably the first monotheist. The great revolt did not totally destroy the flourishing intellectual life of the region as seen in the works of the great philosopher Heraclitus or the writings of the historian and geographer Hecateus. However, the great revolt and the subsequent rule of tyrants forced many thinkers to leave. Moreover, philosophers no longer had the intellectual freedom or patronage that they required for their studies and investigations and intellectual life declined in the decades after the Darius crushed the revolt. Many thinkers and scientists, after the collapse of the rebellion, traveled widely through the Greek world and spread the ideas of the Ionian awakening. These Ionians played a crucial part in the development of philosophy in other parts of the Hellenic World, especially Athens. While the Ionian Revolt led to the end of the first stage of Ancient Greek philosophy it contributed to a great flourishing in scientific investigation and metaphysical speculation elsewhere in the Hellenic world <ref> Russell, p. 17</ref>.
== The Greek-Persian Wars==
The Greek historian Herodotus argued that the Ionian Revolt was very important in history because it marked the beginning of the Greek-Persian Wars. Darius was greatly angered by the Athenians and Eretians involvement in the rebellion. The Ionian Revolt had destabilized a part of his Empire and he feared a repeat of this in the future. According to Herodotus, Darius ordered his servants to remind him, daily, of the Athenians and their role in the rebellion <ref>Herodotus, v, 118</ref>. This is probably a literary invention. However, the Persians had become concerned about potential unrest in the western reaches of their Empire. Athens had shown itself to be a threat to their interests and it was feared that it could encourage more uprising in the future. This was to lead to the first Persian Invasion of Greece. This can be considered to be a punitive expedition that was aimed at punishing those who supported the Ionian rebels <ref> Herodotus, v 119</ref>. In 490 BC, a Persian amphibious force attacked several Greek cities and islands before landing near Athens. They were defeated by the Athenians at the Battle of Marathon 490 BC <ref> Holland, p 119</ref>. This defeat made Darius more determined than ever to punish the Athenians, but he died before he could invade Greece. Therefore, the defeat at Marathon did not end the Persian ambitions to subdue the Greeks. Xerxes the successor of Darius, did not only want to punish the Athenians but wanted to conquer all of Greece. He launched the second invasion of Greece and he moved his army via the Balkans into Hellenic territory but was later defeated on the sea at Salamis and on the land at Platea. It is highly likely that if it were not for the Ionian Revolt that there may not have been any Persian attacks on mainland Greece. This rebellion caused two major wars and these conflicts directly led to the rise of Athens and Sparta and weakened Persia.
