The Battle of Salamis was a naval battle fought between an alliance of Greek city-states and the Persian Empire in 480 BC. It took place in the straits between the mainland and Salamis, an island in the Saronic Gulf near Athens, and marked the high-point of the second Persian invasion of Greece. The battle was fought by 300 Greek triremes against a much larger Persian fleet of around 1,000 ships. Despite their numerical disadvantage, the Greeks were able to inflict a crushing defeat on the Persians due to their superior tactics and strategy. The victory at Salamis ensured that Greece would remain free from Persian rule and allowed for the development of classical Greek civilization.