What role did Sidon play in Xerxes I’s invasion of Greece?

During the Persian period of Lebanon, Sidon served as the principal city of Phoenicia. When Xerxes I launched his invasion of Greece in 480 BCE, the city played a critical role in the Persian naval effort.

The ships provided by Sidon were regarded as the finest component of the Persian fleet. Reflecting the city's high status within the Achaemenian Empire, the king of Sidon held a position of significant prestige, ranking immediately after Xerxes himself and ahead of the king of Tyre. Despite this support, the broader Persian naval force was later defeated by the Greeks at the Battle of Salamis.1