Darius, politically ambitious, moved against Thrace, Macedonia, and the Scythians. Defeated by the Greeks at the battle of Marathon, he retreated to the mainland. This battle was significant, however, because it produced the first major encounter between East and West, the Persian empire and the Greek city states. His successor, Xerxes, after putting down rebellions within the empire in Babylon and in Egypt, also moved against Greece and succeeded in taking Athens. However, his fleet was defeated