However, with the odds stacked against them the Greeks were still able to fend off the might of Persia. They managed to do so due to many circumstances. With a combination of Athenian resolve not to flee, due in large part to Themistokles brilliance as a general, and to inherent weaknesses in Persia's army and navy, the Persians would not be able to include Greece into their empire. .
Since the battle of Marathon in 490 BC the Greeks knew an invasion from Persia was looming. Time however proved to be on their side, which was key in building a defense. Firstly Xerxes inherited an empire in which Egypt was in full revolt. The forces Darius had compiled after the defeat at Marathon which were intended to re-invade Greece had to be partially used to suppress the revolt. It took two years to do so and in 484 BC Xerxes could finally focus his efforts towards Greece. By the time of the actual invasion in 480BC, ten years had passed since Marathon, time which the Athenians used, and very much needed to build an effective defense. Luck also seemed to be on the Athenians sides as the silver mines in Laureion were drilled into deeper and rich veins of silver were found. From this new wealth there were two sides concerning how it should be spent. This is when Themistokles, "who was destined to play so great a part in the war of 480 BC, came to the front of Athenian politics" . He took to spearheading the motion to use the 3000,000 Drachmas to build two hundred ships for the Athenian navy. Fierce opposition came from his political rival Aristeides who preferred that ten Drachmas were given to each Athenian citizen. In Athens "the political opposition of these two men involved so much danger to the state" that it would lead to the eventual ostracism of Aristeides. Ostracism was introduced in the years after Marathon and "it was immediately put in operation against the close friends of tyranny" .
