The Battle of Marathon took place in 490 BC during the first Persian invasion of Greece. It was fought between the citizens of Athens, aided by Plataea, and a Persian force commanded by Datis and Artaphernes. The battle was the culmination of the first attempt by Persia, under King Darius I, to subjugate Greece. The Greek army inflicted a crushing defeat on the more numerous Persians, marking a turning point in the Greco-Persian Wars.
Date
August or September 490 BC (17 Metageitnion)
Location
Marathon, Greece
Coordinates
38°07′05″N 23°58′42″E
Result
Greek victory
Persian forces conquer the Cycladic islands and establish control over the Aegean sea
Persian forces driven out of mainland Greece for 10 years
Belligerents
Athens
Plataea
Achaemenid Empire
Combatants
Greeks
Miltiades
Callimachus †
Aristides the Just
Xanthippus
Themistocles
Stesilaos †
Arimnestos
Cynaegirus †
Persians
Datis
Artaphernes
Hippias
Military Forces
Greeks
10,000–11,000 men
Persian Empire
Modern estimates:
25,000 infantry
1,000 cavalry (unengaged)
100,000+ armed oarsmen and sailors (arranged as reserve troops they saw little action, mostly defending the ships)
600 triremes
50+ horse-carriers
200+ supply ships
Casualties and losses
Greeks
192 dead (Herodotus)
Persian Empire
Herodotus:
6,400 dead
7 ships destroyed
Modern estimates:
4,000–5,000 dead
Background
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| A map showing the Greek world at the time of the battle |
In the wake of the Ionian Revolt (499 BC-494 BC), the emperor of the Persian Empire, Darius I, dispatched an army to Greece to punish those city-states that had aided the rebels. Led by Mardonius, this force succeeded in subjugating Thrace and Macedonia in 492 BC. Moving south towards Greece, Mardonius' fleet was wrecked off Cape Athos during a massive storm. Losing 300 ships and 20,000 men in the disaster, Mardonius elected to withdraw back towards Asia.
Displeased with Mardonius' failure, Darius began planning a second expedition for 490 BC after learning of political instability in Athens. Conceived as a purely maritime enterprise, Darius assigned command of the expedition to the Median admiral Datis and the son of the satrap of Sardis, Artaphernes. Sailing with orders to attack Eretria and Athens, the fleet succeeded in sacking and burning their first objective.
Moving south, the Persians landed near Marathon, approximately 25 miles north of Athens. Responding to the impending crisis, Athens raised around 9,000 hoplites and dispatched them to Marathon where they blocked the exits from the nearby plain and prevented the enemy from moving inland. They were joined by 1,000 Plataeans and assistance was requested from Sparta.
This was not forthcoming as the Athenian messenger had arrived during the festival of Carneia, a sacred time of peace. As a result, the Spartan army was unwilling to march north until the next full moon which was over a week away. Left to fend for themselves, the Athenian and Plataeans continued to prepare for battle. Encamping on the edge of the Plain of Marathon, they faced a Persian force numbering between 20-60,000.
Enveloping the Enemy
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| A map illustrating the position of Greek (blue) and Persian (red) forces at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BCE |
For five days the armies squared off with little movement. For the Greeks, this inactivity was largely due to a fear of being attacked by the Persian cavalry as they crossed the plain. Finally, the Greek commander, Miltiades, elected to attack after receiving favorable omens. Some sources also indicate that Militiades had learned from Persian deserters that the cavalry was away from the field.
Forming his men, Militiades reinforced his wings by weakening his center. This saw the center reduced to ranks four deep while the wings featured men eight deep. This may have been due to the Persian's tendency to place inferior troops on their flanks. Moving a brisk pace, possibly a run, the Greeks advanced across the plain towards the Persian camp. Surprised by the Greeks' audacity, the Persians rushed to form their lines and inflict damage on the enemy with their archers and slingers.
As the armies clashed, the thinner Greek center was quickly pushed back. The historian Herodotus reports that their retreat was disciplined and organized. Pursuing the Greek center, the Persians quickly found themselves flanked on both sides by Militiades' strengthened wings which had routed their opposite numbers.
Having caught the enemy in a double envelopment, the Greeks began to inflict heavy casualties on the lightly armored Persians. As panic spread in the Persian ranks, their lines began to break and they fled back to their ships. Pursuing the enemy, the Greeks were slowed by their heavy armor, but still managed to capture seven Persian ships.
Aftermath
Casualties for the Battle of Marathon are generally listed as 192 Greek dead and 6,400 for the Persians. As with most battles from this period, these numbers are suspect. Defeated, the Persians departed from the area and sailed south to attack Athens directly. Anticipating this, Militiades quickly returned the bulk of the army to the city.
Seeing that the opportunity to strike the previously lightly-defended city had passed, the Persians withdrew back to Asia. The Battle of Marathon was the first major victory for the Greeks over the Persians and gave them confidence that they could be defeated. Ten years later the Persians returned and won a victory at Thermopylae before being defeated by the Greeks at Salamis.
The Battle of Marathon also gave rise to the legend that the Athenian herald Pheidippides ran from the battlefield to Athens to announce the Greek victory before dropping dead. This legendary run is the basis for the modern track and field event. Herodotus contradicts this legend and states that Pheidippides ran from Athens to Sparta to seek aid before the battle.
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