TOMB OF HEROES A monument to the fallen warriors of Salamis now stands near the site of the clash
War on the high seas
Xerxes, the King of Persia, was looking forward to this. For nearly 20 years the insolent Greeks had been a thorn in the side of the mighty Persian empire, but now, finally, they were going to get their comeuppance. His soldiers had already reduced Athens to a heap of smouldering ruins, and now his ships had bottled up the puny Greek fleet at Salamis at the entrance to the Bay of Eleusis. All that remained was to finish them off. Keen to get a grandstand view of the action, Xerxes had his throne set up on the headland overlooking the two fleets and settled down to enjoy what he thought would be a triumphant spectacle.