Before reaching the battlefield itself, we visit the trireme Olympias, a faithful reconstruction of the classical Greek warship that triumphed against the numerically superior Persian fleet in the straits of Salamis.

From our our vantage point on mount Aegaleo, where the Persian king Xerxes set up his throne to watch the battle, overlooking the entire bay of Salamis, our expert military advisors explain the naval battle of 480 BC in vivid and clear operational terms. Fleet compositions, command structures, ship maneuvers, sea currents, wind patterns and tactical decision-making, with special emphasis on how the Greek admiral deliberately drew the numerically superior Persian fleet into the bay’s confined waters.

We make the ferry crossing across the bay to the island of Salamis to visit the monument for the battle. Standing above the water, right in the middle where the action took place, it is easy to visualize the chaos of the battle, ramming ships and war cries echoing between the shores. From the monument site, our advisors will explain how the civilian population, moved there from Athens, was watching in real time their sons and fathers fighting the battle on the ships right infront of them.