Battle of Lade
Sea off the island of Lade, near Miletus, Aydın Province, Turkey
What happened
A fleet of the Ionian Greek cities, trained by Dionysius of Phocaea, fought the fleet of the Persian Empire, drawn from Phoenicia, Egypt, Cilicia and Cyprus. The Greek cities of Ionia, on the coast of what is now Turkey, had rebelled against Persian rule. Their fleet gathered near the island of Lade to protect the city of Miletus. Before the battle, the Persians secretly offered the Ionian cities mercy if they changed sides; when the fighting began, the ships of Samos sailed away, others followed, and the Ionian fleet was defeated.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It effectively ended the Ionian Revolt. Persia then turned to punish Athens, which had helped the rebels, leading to the Persian invasion of Greece and the Battle of Marathon.
What came next
The Persians captured Miletus later that year. Miletus was rebuilt after 479 BCE with a grid street plan that later became a model for many cities.
Did you know?
The people of Samos later put up a pillar honouring the 11 crews from their island who refused to desert and kept fighting.
Timeline
- 494 BCEPersia wins the naval battle at Lade.
- 494 BCEPersia captures Miletus.
- 490 BCEThe Persian expedition is defeated at Marathon.
- 479 BCEMiletus is freed from Persian rule.