What causes an army to become large, unite, and win a significant battle in war? In ancient times the Greek people, together with their culture, were threatened by the Persian Empire which was trying to conquer the Western world. If the Greeks had lost the Persian Wars, their way of life and the foundation for Western civilizations to come would have been lost. The Battle of Salamis was a combination of leadership, technology, and strategy that gave the Greeks an advantage over their Persian opponents, marking the beginning of victory for Greece. The leadership of the city-states along with the individual leadership that united the Greeks into a fighting force fighting for a common cause. One of the main leaders during the entire war was Themistocles, an Athenian politician who was a born leader and would lead the Greeks to victory. Before the Battle of Salamis took place, many Greek generals wanted to leave the area, thinking that the narrow passage leading to Salamis was not worth defending; however, Themistocles used his talent for public speaking to hold the Greeks back in Salamis, saying, “If these men sail from Salamis, you will not fight for the one homeland at all; for all will disperse to their homes; and neither Eurybiades nor anyone else will be able to hinder them, nor prevent the disintegration of an armament.” (Herodotus 3). Using his talents as a public speaker, Themistocles managed to unite the Greek city-states, creating a fighting force that would remain in Salamis to fight the powerful Persian army. Although having a valiant leader was an important part of Greek leadership, the Athenians provided leadership in the form of naval force, providing the Greek navy with a vas...... middle of paper ....... New York: L. MacVeagh, 1928. Print.5) Strauss, Barry S.. The Battle of Salamis: The Naval Encounter That Saved Greece and Western Civilization. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004. Print.1) Gabriel, Richard A. “What We Learned… from the Battle of Salamis.” Military history Oct.-Nov. 2009: 16. Academic OneFile. Network. November 28, 2011.2) Allen, Charlotte. "Victory at sea; how the Greeks kept the Persians at bay." The Weekly Standard 12 December 2005. Academic OneFile. Network. 28 November 2011.3) Raham, AJ "Speech of Themistocles before Salamis: Herodotus' interpretation 8.83.1." The Classic Quarterly 46.2 (1996): 321+. General OneFile. Network. 28 November 2011.4) "Salamis, 480 BC" Gale Encyclopedia of World History: War. Detroit: Gale, 2009. Canada in Context. Network. November 28. 2011.