THE BATTLE OF MARATHON 490 BC

The Greeks had begun settling the Aegean coastline in 1000 BC. Four hundred years latter however they were drawn into conflict with the westward expanding Persian empire. Greek refusal to submit to Persian rule and authority prompted King Darius I, to send a powerful naval force of six hundred war galleys to take control of Athens and install a government favorable to his regime.

The Persian commander, Datis, landed with an invasion force of twenty five thousand Infantry and one thousand cavalry in a bay near Marathon some twenty six miles north of Athens.

The Greek commander Miltiades, with only eleven thousand men were already awaiting the Persians at the inland end of a valley were the approach was narrow and their flanks protected by rocky hills and marshes.

  

Datis choose to use his numerical superiority for an all out assault, ordering his entire army forward to crush the outnumbered Greeks. In responses Miltiades ordered his center to slowly give ground before the enemy advance while his flanks held firm.  

With the Persians now heavily committed inland and far from there supporting ships, Miltiades ordered his center formations to halt and give battle while the flanks of the Greek army wheeled inward toward the enemy.

This maneuver enveloped the Persians encircling half there army, the remainder of which quickly panicked, broke ranks and ran back to there ships.

Miltiades completed the destruction of the trapped Persians then ordered the pursuit of the fleeing Persians back to the shoreline itself. This prompted Diatis to order his vessels put to sea at once.

This may have saved the Persian navy from capture or destruction but it had sealed the fate of the Persian Infantry left behind. The ensuing slaughter had cost the Persians six thousand killed and wounded in comparison to Greek losses of a mere four hundred men.

As soon as the battle had ended, Miltiades ordered a foot messenger Pheidippides, (Who later died delivering the message)  to run the twenty six miles to Athens with news of the Greek victory. (This epic journey was to later become forever known as the first Marathon)

The Marathon battle itself was only a tactical defeat for the Persians, for Datis still possessed powerful forces at his disposal. Datis then sailed the remainder of his army from Marathon to Athens to attack the city directly.

Miltiades led eight thousand men on a forced march back to Athens. When Datis sailed into the Athenian Harbor, Miltiades and his army were lining the walls of the city. Datis could see that an assault would end in utter failure, thus he gave the order to abandon the invasion and set sail back to Persia.