The rule of Pericles had one bad result: He was so popular and had been the great man in the government so long that when he passed away there was no one who could take his place. The time in which he lived is often called the "Age of Pericles." After his death history handed his high ideas on to Rome and the rest of the world. No doubt these ideas influenced the great men of Rome. SPREAD OF GREEK CIVILIZATION [Sidenote: =The Greeks of Asia Minor=] =271. The Old Wars of the Greeks.= The once greatest enemies of the Greeks were the Persians, living in western Asia. The Persians conquered Asia Minor. Here on its coast the Greeks had planted many cities, and they naturally sent ships and soldiers to aid their kinsmen. [Illustration: AN ATHENIAN WAR GALLEY] [Sidenote: =The battle of Marathon=] The king of the Persians, Darius by name, whom we read about in the Bible, sailed with a great army across the sea to Greece. One hundred thousand Persians met ten thousand Greeks on the battlefield of Marathon. The Greeks won. The old folks and children among the Greeks waited for the news with breathless anxiety. The minutes grew into hours. At last they saw a runner coming. He was covered with dust. He had been on the battlefield and was running to tell the waiting people of the great victory. He dropped dead as he called out, "Victory!" He had run twenty-four miles! Both Europe and America have celebrated the victory at Marathon by naming one of their races in the great Olympic contest the Marathon race. [Sidenote: =Xerxes' forces=] Again, a new king, Xerxes, who reigned over Persia, decided to overthrow Greece. He gathered a vast host from forty-six tributary states. He also gathered a fleet greater than any Greece had. [Illustration: THE PERSIAN KING FLEEING IN THE BATTLE OF ISSUS] The city of Sparta gave three hundred brave soldiers. Their leader was Leonidas. The Persian army had to march along the narrow pass of Thermopylae that ran between high mountains and the sea. Here stood the brave Spartans. For two days Leonidas held the pass. Through a mountain road the Persians gained the rear of the Spartan army. But the Spartans did not retreat. Every Spartan fell fighting for his country. A noble example! [Sidenote: =The battle of Salamis=] The Greek warships met the Persians in the Bay of Salamis and overthrew them completely. Xerxes took his army and hastened back to Persia. Asia might be ruled by tyrants but the Greeks were bound to be free. =272. How Alexander Spread Greek Ideas.= But these wonderful deeds were not all the Greeks were to do. We have seen Alexander come to the head of the Greek Empire. He had a wonderful army and resolved to teach the Persians a lesson or two as well as to spread Greek ideas. [Sidenote: =The march of the Greeks=]