Everything To Know About The Battle Of Marathon

By Helen Murray


When the first Persian invasion of Greece happened, marathon then took its place. This was fought between individuals from Athens and rightly helped out by Plataea and the force from Persia which is commanded by Artaphernes and Datis. The combat was the peak of the first attempt taken up by Persia under King Darius I.

When the Ionian revolt was crushed right on by the victory of Persia within the Battle of Lade, a great plan was then created and this was produced by Darius. What Darius wrote within the plan is on how they must conquer Greece. In 490 BC, Darius then sent a naval task force which is led under Datis and Artaphernes to get across Aegean so to vanquish the Cyclades. This was the first taste which led to the Battle of Marathon where a lot of people right now are looking over with.

When the force from Persia defeated the Greeks from the clash of Lade, the Athenian army was then alarmed and quickly marched and blocked the exits of the island so to stop the enemy from entering. The greatest Athenian runner named Philippides was sent to Sparta to request for some help. With such demand, the Spartan force failed his request since they can never march out of war until the moon rose fully.

With the decline of the Spartan army to help them, an unending gratitude was fully given to the Plataean troop. For approximately five days in time, these armies have surely confronted each other in stalemate. The camp of these Athenians was shielded from the grove of trees and the great delay of the Spartans settled in with how the Athenians were divided. With such division, with Miltiades as a part of it is completely keen in attacking the Persians even when he knows that the Spartans are coming.

There is an explanation on why the delay happened and it is assumed that it was due to the Persians more the Athenians were willing to risk the battle firstly. According to Herodotus, the Greeks take on the Persian army first but there is no clear clarification on why the army did it even when they are still waiting for the Spartan army to arrive on the field. With such discussion, two theories are specifically stated within.

It is believed that the first theory purely speaks of any unspecified reason. It was actually explained that the Persian cavalry rightly left the Marathon which surely led to the attack of the Greeks right towards them. Yet this also includes the reembarking of ships of their nemeses to the ocean so to take their attacks on the Athenian army.

As for the second concept, it speaks simply of how the Persians attack the Athenians because they finally move their way first. Right when the Athenian troop saw the Persians advancing, they then took tactical actions and surely attacked them right in. Though both theories are not established if they are all exact yet it is noticed that the combat happened because of some kind of Persian activity which definitely triggered the war.

For the opposing forces, taken by the Athenians first, Herodotus did not really provide the exact size and figure of the army yet there are approximately 1,000 Plataeans and 9,000 Athenians who are involved on the clash. As for the Persian army, it is fully estimated by the Roman Cornelius Nepos to be around 200,000 infantry and about 10,000 cavalry.

Though Persians outnumbered the Greeks yet success was still captured by the latter. It is because of how they took in quick and exceptional tactics. More than that, they are well accustomed to their courageous hearts as well.




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