The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. The Greeks, who did not have cavalry or archers, could not safely cross the plains while the Persian cavalry were present. The Greek position was a terribly precarious one. The Battle of Marathon - Facts, Summary, and Significance - S This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. They werent so concerned about the Greeks; the exact opposite, actually). The dry reed buildings went up like tinder, and the resulting inferno consumed the city. The Spartans declined to send aid at that time, due to a religious ceremony, but promised to come after the next full moon. Persian Wars Q & A The Spartan king, on the third day of the battle, rallied his small force - the survivors from the original Spartan 300, 700 Thespians and 400 Thebans - and made a rearguard stand to defend the pass to the last man in the hope of delaying the Persians progress, in order to allow the rest of the Greek force to retreat or also possibly to await relief from a larger Greek force. The Battle of Marathon: The Greco-Persian Wars Escalate Although the Persians had enjoyed the upper hand in previous contests during the recent Ionian revolt, the terrain at Thermopylae would better suit Greek warfare. To cite this article in an academic-style article or paper, use: Heather Cowell, "The Battle of Marathon: The Greco-Persian Wars Advance on Athens", History Cooperative, December 30, 2019, https://historycooperative.org/the-battle-of-marathon/. When he arrived, exhausted, and managed to sputter out the Athenian request for military assistance, he was crushed to hear a refusal. Battle of Marathon - Definition, Facts & Who Won - History Cavalry, usually operating on the flanks of the main battle, were used to mop up opposing infantry put in disarray after they had been subjected to repeated salvos from the archers. The Greeks then formed a phalanx by standing close together, typically in columns of eight, and using long spears to strike at their enemies from behind a wall of shields. WebWhy couldnt the Spartans help the Athenians in the Battle of Marathon right away? https://www.thoughtco.com/persian-wars-battle-of-marathon-p2-2360876 (accessed May 1, 2023). 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. Please support World History Encyclopedia. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. The Greek army inflicted a crushing defeat on the more numerous Persians, marking a turning point in the Greco-Persian Wars. If the Persian army made it to the city, they would be able to block whatever might remain of the Greek army from returning to defend it, and Athens had no remaining soldiers left within. The victory of the Marathon men captured. Marathon Darius I, king of Persia whod likely set his sights on Greece as far back as 513 B.C. the Battle of Marathon Not only did this halt Persian expansion, but it also ensured continued Greek independence - at least until king Philip II of Macedon brought the Greek city-states under Macedonian control over one hundred years later in 338 BCE. Figure 2: A possible position of the Greek and Persian armies in an initial stand-off at Marathon. The Persian cavalry were armed as the foot soldiers, with a bow and an additional two javelins for throwing and thrusting. They then joined and turned around to attack the Persian center from behind, routing the entire Persian army. The Greeks learning these lessons when they did had a powerful impact on the course of world history. After nearly a week of inaction, the Greek commander, Militiades, moved forward to attack despite being badly outnumbered. The Greeks had long been terrified of the Persian army, and even without the cavalry, their enemy still heavily outnumbered them. With the Persians closing in on the Greek capitol, Athenian general Miltiades assumed command of the hastily assembled army. No Persian accounts of the Greco-Persian Wars, including the Battle of Marathon, have been passed down to us. The marathon race is named after the false story that Pheidippides ran from Marathon to Athens (a distance of 26.2 miles) to deliver news of the victory. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Greek soldiers of the time were known as hoplites. But he took no time to mourn. In 486 BCE, Xerxes I (r. 486-465 BCE) became king upon the death of Darius and massive preparations for invasion were made. iPhone History: A Timeline of Every Model in Order ThoughtCo, Sep. 9, 2021, thoughtco.com/persian-wars-battle-of-marathon-p2-2360876. Darius was beyond angry a persistent thorn in his side, the continued insolence from Athens was infuriating and so he dispatched his army under the leadership of Datis, his best admiral, heading first toward the conquest of Eretria, a city nearby and in close relations with Athens. Leonidas had stationed the contingent of Phokian troops to guard this vital point but they, thinking themselves the primary target of this new development, withdrew to a higher defensive position when the Immortals attacked. The Battle of Marathon also gave rise to the legend of Pheidippides who reputedly ran from the battlefield to Athens to bring news of the victory. The hoplites' main advantage were their shields, with an outer bronze layer, and their heavier armor. A glorious defeat maybe, but the fact remained that the way was now clear for Xerxes to push on into mainland Greece. About five days after first arriving at Marathon, the Greeks decided to attack, and Miltiades moved his army into position. He also knew that Marathon was far enough away that the Athenians wouldnt be able to surprise him while his own forces unloaded the ships, a scene of utter pandemonium that would have placed his men in a vulnerable position. The Roman Republic was only six years old. The Spartans toured the battlefield at Marathon, and agreed that the Athenians had won a great victory. Herodotus, born a few years after the battle, based his judgment on eyewitness accounts. 4 Why was the Battle of Marathon fought in Greece? With no choice but to act, the Greeks took the initiative. This is, in very large part, due to the skill of arms of the Greeks who fought and won their victory at Marathon. 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. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Cartwright, Mark. The romantic tale of the runners joyful sacrifice (which caught the imagination of 19th century writers and popularized the myth, but was in reality far more impressive, and far less tragic) tells of an incredible long distance run to beg the military assistance of Sparta, and the determined quick march of the battle-worn Athenians from Marathon back to Athens to defend their city. Instead, he turned around and made the incredible run, another 220 kilometers over rocky, mountainous terrain in just two days, back to Marathon, warning the Athenians that no immediate help could be expected from Sparta. This experience provided him with something invaluable: a firm knowledge of Persian battle tactics. Persia wanted revenge for Athens disrespect, and they were going to get it. Herodotus: History & Persian Wars | Who was Herodotus? Miltiades had his center form columns of only four men, rather than eight. 30 Apr 2023. 10 generals at the head of 10,000 soldiers set out for Marathon, tight-lipped and fearful, but ready to fight to the last man if necessary. 1. The Battle of Marathon was a conflict between Athens and the Persian Empire in 490 B.C.E that stemmed from Athenians providing aid to rebels in Ionia who were fighting In 490 BCE Greek forces led by Athens met the Persians in battle at Marathon and defeated the invaders. Having caught the enemy in a double envelopment, the Greeks began to inflict heavy casualties on the lightly armored Persians. Submitted by Mark Cartwright, published on 16 April 2013. Meanwhile at Artemision, the Persians were battling the elements rather than the Greeks, as they lost 400 triremes in a storm off the coast of Magnesia and more in a second storm off Euboea. Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University. Sending them up the coast to land them closer to the undefended city of Athens. Indeed, for this very reason, the Spartans had arrived too late at the earlier Battle of Marathon. What happened to Athens after the Battle of Marathon? Michel Bral, of France, suggested recreating the famous poetic run, and the idea caught hold. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. "Battle of Thermopylae." Web. 429 lessons. Why was the Battle of Marathon fought in Greece? Get unlimited access to over 88,000 lessons. However, an unscrupulous traitor was about to tip the balance in favour of the invaders. Years prior, he had accompanied the Persian king, Darius I, during his campaigns against the fierce nomadic warrior tribes north of the Caspian Sea. The Spartans assured him that they were eager to help, but they were in the middle of their festival of Carneia, a fertility celebration associated with the god Apollo; a period during which they observed a strict peace. The Persian Empire in 500 BC. This made the Persian archers much less effective against them. Dept. Last mile update 11:39 a.m. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you The Athenian Treasury at Delphi was built out of the spoils of the battle. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. In a phalanx formation, the hoplites would stand close together, usually in columns of eight. Marathon He has a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Michigan. As an interesting footnote: the important strategic position of Thermopylae meant that it was once more the scene of battle in 279 BCE when the Greeks faced invading Gauls, in 191 BCE when a Roman army defeated Antiochus III, and even as recent as 1941 CE when Allied New Zealand forces clashed with those of Germany. In those days Greece was not a unified country, but a collection of independent city-states. Finding no battle to be fought, the Spartans toured the bloody battlefield, still littered with numerous rotting corpses the cremation and burial of which took days and offered their praise and congratulations. The Ionians deeply resented Persian rule, and, in 499 BCE, the Ionian Revolt began.
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