Seven battles, seven turning points
The following seven battles show how a single day could change the course of a kingdom, a war, or even a civilization: Athens resisted Persia, Rome found a new master, Scotland gained strength against England, and the Ottomans advanced into Europe while Moscow began to challenge Mongol power.
September 12, 490 BC — Battle of Marathon
On this day, the Persian Empire attempted to punish Athens for its support of the Greek cities that had rebelled against it, but the Athenians, led by Miltiades, confronted the Persian troops on the plain of Marathon and achieved a surprising victory.
The defeat forced the Persians to retreat and allowed Athens to preserve its independence.
September 12 is the traditionally accepted date, although the exact date continues to be debated.
September 29, 480 BC — Battle of Salamis
Following the Persian invasion of Greece, King Xerxes I had managed to occupy Athens and seemed to have an enormous advantage: the Greeks decided to face the powerful Persian fleet in the narrow waters of Salamis. There, the maneuvers of the Greek ships caused a great Persian defeat.
The victory forced Xerxes to withdraw a good part of his forces and changed the course of the Greco-Persian Wars.
September 2, 31 BC — Battle of Actium
Rome was divided between Octavian, the future Emperor Augustus, and the alliance formed by Mark Antony and Cleopatra, and it was on this day that both sides finally clashed off the coast of Greece in a decisive naval battle.
Octavian's fleet emerged victorious, and Antony and Cleopatra fled to Egypt; their defeat left Octavian the undisputed master of Roman power and paved the way for the birth of the Roman Empire.
September 11, 1297 — Battle of Stirling Bridge
Scotland was fighting against the rule of the English King Edward I. The English army crossed the River Forth at Stirling Bridge to face the Scottish forces led by William Wallace and Andrew Moray.
The Scots waited until a significant portion of the English troops had crossed and attacked at the most favorable moment; England suffered a crushing defeat, and Scotland achieved one of its greatest victories during the Wars of Independence.
September 19, 1356 — Battle of Poitiers
During the Hundred Years' War, the English army, led by the Black Prince, faced the forces of the French King John II, until the English, although outnumbered, took advantage of their defensive position and defeated the French army.
On the day mentioned, John II was captured and taken to England.
The defeat severely weakened the French monarchy and triggered a deep political and economic crisis in France.
September 26, 1371 — Battle of Maritsa
The Ottomans were advancing through the Balkans, while various Christian rulers attempted to stop their expansion.
On this day, a Serbian army faced a much smaller Ottoman force near the Maritsa River, but the Ottomans attacked during the night and destroyed a large part of the enemy army. The victory greatly facilitated Ottoman expansion through the Balkans and increased their influence over Serbian territories.
September 8, 1380 — Battle of Kulikovo
The Principality of Moscow faced, that day, an army associated with the Golden Horde, the great Mongol power that dominated much of Russia.
Prince Dmitry Donskoy gathered a significant army and defeated the forces led by Mamai on the field of Kulikovo. The victory greatly strengthened Moscow's position and became a symbol of the resistance of the Russian principalities against the Horde's rule; however, it did not mean the immediate end of that rule: Moscow's dependence would continue for decades.
