Conflict has always been part and parcel of human life. While many battles were fought in the past, none left a story more compelling than the one about the battle of Marathon. Fought in 490 BC, the conflict served as a benchmark for all other wars in Greece and beyond.
It began with an ambitious Persian king called Darius I. As ruler, his ultimate goal was to invade Greece and place it under Persian control. Unbeknown to him, this was not going to be an easy affair as the Greeks were renowned for their military discipline and their rock solid battle formation. To wage war against the people of Athens, the Persian army relied on the command of Artaphernes and Datis.
The primary motivation for the invasion was the need for a response by the Persians to the Ionian revolt. During this revolt, the Greek states of Athens and Eretria had combined forces to help drive the Persians out of Ionia. Though successful in capturing Sardis, the allied Greek forces had to retreat as they were taking heavy casualties. The eventual result was a complete crushing of the Ionian revolt by the Persians. Maddened by the attempt by the Greeks, King Darius I swore to retaliate by burning Athens and Eretria to the ground.
In the course of the Marathon battle, Athens and Sparta were famous for being the two biggest Greek cities. In 490 BC, two Persian naval commanders known as Artaphernes and Datis were ordered by King Darius I to set sail for Greece through the Aegean Sea. Their first objective once they landed was to besiege Cyclades.
The force would then use the area as a forward operating base to launch attacks against Athens and Eretria. After reaching Euboea during the summer, the force proceeded to besiege Eretria and was successful in capturing it. Thereafter, the army set sail for Attica, where they landed on the bay just close to Marathon.
With the Persians drawing closer, the Athenians prevailed upon Plataea to provide reinforcement. With this combined force, they set out for Marathon. Once in the city, they formed blockades on the two exits surrounding it.
Prior to this, they had sent a messenger to ask for reinforcements from the Spartans. However, the Spartans could not reciprocate as requested due to an ongoing religious festival. According to the historian Herodotus, the messenger ran a distance of over 140 miles from Athens to Sparta, taking only a day to do so. This story spurned on to legendary status, resulting in the modern day racing event.
As was tradition, the Athenians smartly chose a marshy and mountainous region to serve as the battlefront. This inadvertently forced the Persian Calvary to break away from its main army. The Athenians then reinforced their flanks, drawing the core of the invading force to their center.
The resulting envelope resulted in the complete wipe out of the Persians. Sensing defeat, the remainder of the invaders ran towards their ships. The greatest lesson of the story is that the Athenians were able to crush their opponents without the help of the revered Spartans.
It began with an ambitious Persian king called Darius I. As ruler, his ultimate goal was to invade Greece and place it under Persian control. Unbeknown to him, this was not going to be an easy affair as the Greeks were renowned for their military discipline and their rock solid battle formation. To wage war against the people of Athens, the Persian army relied on the command of Artaphernes and Datis.
The primary motivation for the invasion was the need for a response by the Persians to the Ionian revolt. During this revolt, the Greek states of Athens and Eretria had combined forces to help drive the Persians out of Ionia. Though successful in capturing Sardis, the allied Greek forces had to retreat as they were taking heavy casualties. The eventual result was a complete crushing of the Ionian revolt by the Persians. Maddened by the attempt by the Greeks, King Darius I swore to retaliate by burning Athens and Eretria to the ground.
In the course of the Marathon battle, Athens and Sparta were famous for being the two biggest Greek cities. In 490 BC, two Persian naval commanders known as Artaphernes and Datis were ordered by King Darius I to set sail for Greece through the Aegean Sea. Their first objective once they landed was to besiege Cyclades.
The force would then use the area as a forward operating base to launch attacks against Athens and Eretria. After reaching Euboea during the summer, the force proceeded to besiege Eretria and was successful in capturing it. Thereafter, the army set sail for Attica, where they landed on the bay just close to Marathon.
With the Persians drawing closer, the Athenians prevailed upon Plataea to provide reinforcement. With this combined force, they set out for Marathon. Once in the city, they formed blockades on the two exits surrounding it.
Prior to this, they had sent a messenger to ask for reinforcements from the Spartans. However, the Spartans could not reciprocate as requested due to an ongoing religious festival. According to the historian Herodotus, the messenger ran a distance of over 140 miles from Athens to Sparta, taking only a day to do so. This story spurned on to legendary status, resulting in the modern day racing event.
As was tradition, the Athenians smartly chose a marshy and mountainous region to serve as the battlefront. This inadvertently forced the Persian Calvary to break away from its main army. The Athenians then reinforced their flanks, drawing the core of the invading force to their center.
The resulting envelope resulted in the complete wipe out of the Persians. Sensing defeat, the remainder of the invaders ran towards their ships. The greatest lesson of the story is that the Athenians were able to crush their opponents without the help of the revered Spartans.
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The Battle of Marathon was an epic war that took place in ancient Persia. To read more, visit this informative website at http://ancientgreecepersia.com/greek-persian-wars.html.
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