Seeing them begin to retreat, the Greek wings displayed excellent discipline in not following the fleeing enemy, and instead turned back in to attack what remained of the Persian center to relieve the pressure on their own thin center forces. She has taught college History and Government courses. However long the distance, by running into battle, the Greeks limited the time they were exposed to Persian arrows. Left to fend for themselves, the Athenian and Plataeans continued to prepare for battle. Get unlimited access to over 88,000 lessons. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Here are 10 facts about it. The stress of dealing with a revolt in Egypt further exacerbated his poor health, and by October, he was dead. The Athenian force numbered around 10,000, including 1,000 Plataeans, and was led by the Athenian General Miltiades. Following Greek support for an uprising in Ionia (a coastal area in modern-day western Turkey), Darius I, emperor of the Persian Empire dispatched forces west to inflict retribution on those Greek city-states that had aided the rebels. Figure 2: A possible position of the Greek and Persian armies in an initial stand-off at Marathon. It was fought between the citizens of Athens, aided by Plataea, and a Persian force commanded by Datis and Artaphernes. On the first day, Xerxes sent his Median and Kissian troops, and after their failure to clear the pass, the elite Immortals entered the battle but in the brutal close-quarter fighting, the Greeks held firm. The Athenian and Plataean dead of Marathon were buried on the battlefield in two tumuli. In around 500 BCE, the Persian Empire looked poised to continue their western expansion and absorb tiny, disunited Greece into their fold. And, forced into action, they took their stand in Marathon. 4 Why was the Battle of Marathon fought in Greece? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The pass had also been fortified by the local Phokians who built a defensive wall running from the so-called Middle Gate down to the sea. After the battle, Xerxes ordered that Leonidas' head be put on a stake and displayed at the battlefield. The Greeks, though, were far from finished, and despite many states now turning over to the Persians and Athens itself being sacked, a Greek army led by Leonidas' brother Kleombrotos began to build a defensive wall near Corinth. The second day followed the pattern of the first, and the Greek forces still held the pass. The defeat at Marathon marked the end of the first Persian invasion of Greece, and the Persian force retreated to Asia. Despite being greatly inferior in numbers, the Greeks held the narrow pass for three days with Spartan king Leonidas fighting a last-ditch defence with a small force of Spartans and other Greek hoplites. Who was the winner of the Battle of Marathon? According to legend, an Athenian messenger was sent from Marathon to Athens, a distance of about 25 miles (40 km), and there he announced the Persian defeat before dying of exhaustion. They were joined by 1,000 Plataeans and assistance was requested from Sparta. Moreover, the Greek's armor and, particularly, shields helped negate the attacks from Persian archers. The Greek forces included 300 Spartans and their helots with 2,120 Arcadians, 1,000 Lokrians, 1,000 Phokians, 700 Thespians, 400 Corinthians, 400 Thebans, 200 men from Phleious, and 80 Mycenaeans. That hope for leniency was met with severe and brutal disappointment as the Persians sacked the city, burned the temples, and enslaved the population. Athens and Eretria agreed and sent a number of ships. Next in King Darius' sights were Athens and the rest of Greece. Rather than continue the fight against Athens elsewhere, the Persians retreated to their own territory. Please note that some of these recommendations are listed under our old name, Ancient History Encyclopedia. The battle of Marathon is characterized by the unequal distribution of hoplites within the phalanx.

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