Tours: Battle of Marathon

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Explore Marathon, the site of one of the Greeks' most famous battle against the Persians.

Opening RemarksBattle OverviewCauses of the ConflictThe Greek ReactionArrival of the PersiansThe Athenian StrategyCombatHeroic ExploitsThe AftermathConsequencesClosing Remarks

• Herodotos: Welcome traveler, to the site of the legendary Battle of Marathon.

("Who are you?")

• Herodotos: My name is Herodotos, and I am a traveler from Halikarnassos. I retrace the cause of various events, such as wars and great calamities. I describe what I see and record what I am told - all with the aim of providing a better understanding of why these things occur. Look for me to introduce you to many sites.

("What do you think of this place?")

• Herodotos: It's truly incredible that such a small place would have such tremendous significance. But then again, even the tiniest pebble can send ripples through the water.

("Let's begin the tour.")

• Herodotos: Marathon was the location of one of the greatest battles in Greek history. It was here where Athenians made a stand against the might of an imposing Persian fleet. Your visit will take you through the causes of the conflict, the battle itself, and its far-reaching consequences. I will see you again once you're through. Farewell for now.

Grave stele of Pollis, a warrior who died in the battle / 480 BCE (Classical Greece)

In 490 BCE, 600 Persian triremes landed on a beach 35 kilometers from Athens.

Standing in their way were 11,000 hoplites led by the prestigious Athenian general Miltiades.

The Persian forces outnumbered the Greeks approximately five to one, and yet, the smaller force managed to push back their would-be conquerors.

The Battle of Marathon was a major turning point in the Greco-Persian Wars, and the Athenians' victory would be celebrated for many years.

The modern-day distance running event is named a Marathon in memory of a soldier from the battle who ran back to Athens to announce their victory, though whether this is real or legend is uncertain.

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The Persian army had many bow-wielding horsemen. Because of this, its forces were very mobile, and especially effective on the dry and rocky terrain of the Middle East. However, Persian cavalry was much less comfortable in mountainous regions and wooded areas.

Archers frieze from Darius' Palace in Susa / 5th cent. BCE (Achaemenid period)

The Persians wanted to invade Greece in part due to its rich silver mines.

In 545 BCE, they came closer to this goal after their victory over Kroisos, the king of Lydia.

The victory forced some Greek population in Asia Minor to surrender, and gave the Persians a solid foothold to carry out a large scale invasion.

In 494 BCE, the city of Miletos revolted against its Persian rulers. They were aided by Athens and the nearby city of Eretria, and even burned down an important Persian temple.

The Persian king Darius was enraged by their sacrilege, and in 491 BCE, sent messengers to the Greek cities demanding their submission.

Athens and Sparta killed the Persian messengers, goading Darius to invade.

The Persians began their attacks, first capturing the city of Naxos and enslaving its inhabitants, then taking the city of Eretria.

Filled with confidence from their string of victories, the Persians set their sights on Athens.

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The Persian king Darius proclaimed that he was chosen by the god Ahura Mazda to be "King of Kings" and "Master of the World".

He did his best to live up to those titles, and conquered Egypt, Babylonia, the Lydian's section of Asia Minor, as well as several smaller states.

Darius allowed his subjects a fair amount of autonomy, but also demanded yearly tributes, as well as troops in the event of a war.

Apollo Karneios from the obverse of a diobol from Metapontion / 325-275 BCE (Hellenistic Greece)

The Greeks were surprised by the ferocity of the Persian attacks.

Seeking aid against the upcoming invasion, Athens was forced to appeal to other cities for help.

In a surprising move, they asked for aid from Sparta, known for having the strongest army in Greece.

The Spartans agreed to the request, but they were unable to send reinforcements in time due to the religious feast of Apollo Karneios, which forbade them from leaving their city until the next full moon.

The only extra help Athens managed to acquire was from the small Boeotian city of Plataia, which sent an additional 1,000 hoplites.

This was the first time in Greek history that their entire civilization was under attack from an external invader.

Despite sharing the same language and same religion, Greek city states had often warred amongst themselves.

The Persian invasion was the first time they realized the necessity of collective action to ensure their survival.

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Plataia was the site of the famous Battle of Plataia, one of the most important battles in the Greco-Persian Wars. The battle ended in a decisive victory for the Greeks, who managed to successfully repel the Persian invaders.

Persian soldier fleeing. Detail of an Attic red-figure neck-amphora / 490-470 BCE (Classical Greece)

The Persian fleet originally planned to land at the port of Phaleron.

However, the exiled Athenian tyrant Hippias - who sided with the Persians - advised them to land at Marathon instead, where it would be easier to deploy cavalry.

The Athenians were unaware of the Persian battle plans, and left Marathon undefended.

This allowed the Persians to quietly set up camp on the beach while Athens scrambled to mount a defense.

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For a while, Phaleron served as Athens' main port.

This changed after the general and politician Themistokles encouraged the development of the natural harbors of Piraeus. Piraeus turned into a bustling port of its own and Phaleron was gradually abandoned.

Marble bust of Miltiades / 5th cent. BCE (Classical Greece)

The Persians' overwhelming numerical superiority forced the Athenians to get creative with their defensive strategy.

The city sent 10,000 hoplites - along with the extra 1,000 Plataian reinforcements - to a hill located above the Persian encampment.

Once in position, Athenians had to decide whether to wait for the Persians to attack, or to strike them first.

Athens' strategists believed the former option was better, but the general Miltiades believed a first strike was more advantageous, as the Persians had their backs to the sea.

In the end, Miltiades' opinion prevailed, and the Greeks made their move.

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Before the Battle of Marathon, the general Miltiades was suspected of aspiring to tyranny. After his victory, however, he returned to Athens a hero.

Miltiades took advantage of his newfound popularity to request a large fleet. While he kept the reasons for his a secret, it was eventually revealed that he was using Athenian military resources to wage a personal war against the city of Paros.

Miltiades' siege of Paros was unsuccessful, and the general suffered an injury that later led to gangrene. When he returned to Athens, he was put on trial for his actions, and though he managed to avoid the death penalty, he was charged with an enormous fine. He did shortly thereafter.

The Battle Near Marathon. Oil painting by Hermann Knackfuß (1848-1915)

According to Herodotos, the Greek foces charged at the Persians without archers or cavalry.

The Persians were unprepared for what they saw as an act of madness.

While they were able to hold the Greeks back at first, they were eventually pushed back to their ships and forced to retreat.

The Persians suffered heavy losses during the battle, with approximately 6,400 casualties.

The Athenians, on the other hand, only lost 192 soldiers.

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The Spartans that Athens called on for aid did eventually make it to Marathon, but only after the battle was over.

According to Herodotos, the Spartans toured the battlefield, praised the Athenians on their victory, and then departed.

Bronze statuette of Herakles fighting / 4th-1st cent. BCE (Hellenistic Greece)

The victory at Marathon was considered miraculous.

The Greeks attributed this miracle to the appearance of legendary heroes, who they allegedly saw return from the dead to fight at their side in defense of the city.

For example, several Athenians swore they saw the mythical king Theseus take up arms at Marathon a scene which would later be depicted in Athens' agora.

Similarly, some hoplites attested that Herakles appeared at Marathon, clad in his lion skin and wielding a club.

The supposed "appearance" of these heroes helped elevate the Battle of Marathon to a legendary status among the Greek people.

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Herakles was renowned for his heroic feats and labors, but his death was surprisingly tragic.

According to legend, Herakles' third wife Deianira was worried that her husband was having an affair. Hoping to rekindle their love, Deianira gave Herakles a garment stained with the blood of a centaur he once killed named Nessos. Unfortunately, the blood was poisoned, and after putting the garment on, Herakles' skin began burning.

The pain was so unbearable that Herakles made a funeral pyre for himself on Mount Oeta, then ordered Philoketes to light it. The fire burned Herakles' mortal body, but Zeus raised his immortal side to Olympos.

Tetradrachm of the Persian Empire depicting the Persian King and the prow of a galley / 350-333 BCE (Achaemenid period)

After the Persians fled Marathon, they tried to invade Athens by way of the Bay of Phaleron.

However, this gave the Athenians time to return to the city and mount a proper defense.

Fearing further losses, the admiral of the Persian fleet called off their attack, and the Persians returned to their Empire.

Darius was furious at the campaign's failure, and decided to seek vengeance in a retaliatory expedition from both land and sea.

Meanwhile, Sparta begrudgingly congruated Athens on their victory.

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The Athenians buried the soldiers who died in a monumental tumulus. The tumulus featured ten steles listing the names of the honored dead from each tribe. A second tumulus was built for the Plataians and slaves who died alongside the Athenians.

The dead soldiers were granted to the right to be worshipped as heroes, and even received the honor of a cult. When the general Miltiades died, he was buried next to his men.

Athenian treasury at Delphi / 490-485 BCE (Classical Greece)

The victory at Marathon marked the beginning of a new era for Athens.

According to Herodotos, Athens' success at pushing back the Persians ranked them first in the ongoing competition between the Greek city states.

The Athenians immortalized their prestige by erecting monuments in both their own city and in Delphi.

The Battle of Marathon was also perceived as a blow against tyranny.

Tyranny went from being perceived as a simple flaw in authoritarian excess to major treason against the ruler - a sin that rulers would take great pains to avoid being accused of.

This helped consolidate the institution of democracy for the next two centuries.

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After the Battle of Marathon, the Athenians built a treasury in Delphi to express gratitude to Apollo. The small temple-shaped monument was built with spoils taken from the Persians at Marathon.

The treasury's metopes depicted the exploits of Herakles and Theseus, the two mythical heroes who allegedly helped the Athenians fight the Persians back. They also featured images of Athena and the Amazons.

("I'm ready for the quiz.") ("Take on the next suggested tour.") ("Take me on a random tour.") ([LEAVE] "That's all for now.")

Gallery

• File:Assassin's Creed Discovery Tour- The Battle of Marathon - Ep. 12 - Ubisoft -NA-