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Battle of Marathon Facts

Battle of Marathon Facts
The Battle of Marathon was a major battle in the Greek-Persian Wars (499-479 BC). Fought on a plain near the town of Marathon in the Greek region of Attica, an Athenian force of about 10,000 Greeks led by Miltiades utterly defeated a Persian force of 12,000 to 90,000 men led by Datis. The Athenian victory had many far reaching implications: it united many of the Greek city-states into the Hellenic League, it was the last military campaign Darius I of Persia sent to Greece, and it was proof that the Greek hoplite could defeat any foe, even if outnumbered. Although outnumbered, the Athenians had many advantages during the battle, including familiarity with the land and superior armor and weapons.
Interesting Battle of Marathon Facts:
The modern marathon run of 26.2 miles is believed to have been derived from the Battle of Marathon. According to more than one legend, a man named Pheidippides ran the 26.2 miles from Marathon to Athens to tell the people of the city that the Greeks had just won.
According the fifth century BC historian Herodotus, Pheidippides actually ran more than 150 miles from Athens to Sparta to get their help, but they were celebrating an important religious festival.
The Greek contingent was comprised of about 9,000 Athenians and 1,000 Plataians.
The Greek-Persian Wars began when the Athenians instigated Greeks in Persian ruled Ionia to revolt in 499 BC.
During the Ionian Revolt, the Greeks sacked the city of Sardis, which greatly angered Darius I.
Mardonius led in invasion of Greece through Thrace in 492 BC, but the Persian fleet was destroyed by a storm.
When Datis led the Persian fleet to Greece in 490 BC, it sailed straight across the Aegean Sea from Ionia through the Cyclades Islands.
The Persians first attacked Naxos, burning the city, and then moved onto mainland Greece and attacked Eretria.
Eretria was destroyed and its population was taken into slavery.
The events in Eretria likely made the Greeks fight even harder at Marathon.
The first advantage the Greeks had was that they arrived at the site first and essentially picked the battlefield.
To counter their numerical inferiority, the Greeks chose a plain that had hills and forests on one side and a swamp on the other, which created a choke point.
Instead of placing their best troops in the center, the Greeks put their best men on the flanks.
The Greek hoplites charged for about a mile to meet the Persians, which mitigated the effectiveness of the Persian cavalry and archery.
Once the battle began and the Greek center gave way, the stronger flanks enveloped the Persians in the first recorded "pincer movement" in history.
Datis then sailed for Athens and thought about attempting a siege, but sailed back to Ionia instead.
Although the Persian Immortals were elite warriors and held their own in the battle, the large shields, bronze helmets, bronze plate corselet and metal greaves to protect the shins and calves, and long thrusting spears of the hoplites proved to be superior.


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