Mardonius

Mardonius was one of the most powerful figures at the Achaemenid court, son-in-law of Darius I and a leading advocate for the invasion of Greece. He commanded an earlier Persian expedition into Europe (492 BCE) that subdued Thrace and Macedon but lost much of its fleet in a storm off Mount Athos. He advised Xerxes to invade Greece and was left in command of the Persian land army after Xerxes withdrew following the naval defeat at Salamis. Mardonius wintered in Thessaly, captured and burned Athens a second time in 479 BCE, but was defeated and killed at the Battle of Plataea, ending the Persian invasion.

• Nationality: persian
• Roles: general