From June 480 BC, after the Persians' victory at Thermopylae, until August 479 BC, tens of thousands of Athenians left their city.

Leaving behind the homes and graves of their ancestors, women, children, and the elderly sought refuge in safe places, while all able-bodied men were conscripted. In that challenging year, the city was burned not once but twice.

Robert Garland examines how the Athenians decided to evacuate Attica and analyzes the material and psychological consequences of the subsequent invasion.

He introduces readers to the broader context of the Persian Wars, including the Battle of Marathon. He describes the stages of the invasion from both the Persian and Greek perspectives and analyzes the siege of the Acropolis, the defeat of the Persians first at sea by the allied Greeks, and then on land, and ultimately the return of the Athenians to their homeland.

The book ATHENS IN FLAMES poses questions more relevant than ever, as it addresses the means and structures available to the refugees on their way, thus connecting the ancient with the modern world, at a time when the news is dominated by the drama of five million refugees from Syria.