They had no choice but to make this stand with nothing but the help of a small allied force numbers and morale only bolstered by a detachment of soldiers from the nearby Greek city of Platea, repaying the support Athens had shown them in defending against an invasion some years prior. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/persian-wars-battle-of-marathon-p2-2360876. The Battle of Marathon: The Greco-Persian Wars Escalate 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. The Athenian and Plataean dead of Marathon were buried on the battlefield in two tumuli. https://www.thoughtco.com/persian-wars-battle-of-marathon-p2-2360876 (accessed May 1, 2023). 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. Winter halted the land campaign, though, and at Salamis the Greek fleet manoeuvred the Persians into shallow waters and won a resounding victory. Battle of Marathon (Lesson for KS2 1. With all prepared, the trumpets sounded and Miltiades ordered, At them!. The Spartans declined to send aid at that time, due to a religious ceremony, but promised to come after the next full moon. For the Greeks, this inactivity was largely due to a fear of being attacked by the Persian cavalry as they crossed the plain. When word was brought to Darius, his first response was to inquire as to who the Athenians were. Meanwhile, the Immortals now entered the fray behind the Greeks who retreated to a high mound behind the Phokian wall. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Just why Greece was coveted by Persia is unclear. The Origin of Hotdogs, The History of Boracay Island in The Philippines. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Ten years later the It does not store any personal data. Athens, along with the smaller port city of Eretria, were amenable to the cause and readily pledged their assistance. 1. All while the Greek forces had lost only 200 men. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Rather than continue the fight against Athens elsewhere, the Persians retreated to their own territory. Miltiades had his center form columns of only four men, rather than eight. Cartwright, Mark. Battle of Marathon, (September 490 bce), in the Greco-Persian Wars, decisive battle fought on the Marathon plain of northeastern Attica in which the Athenians, in a single afternoon, repulsed the first Persian invasion of Greece. 2 How did the Battle of Marathon affect Athens? He spread the center of the line thin to extend its reach so as to lower the risk of being encircled, and placed his strongest soldiers on the two wings a direct contrast to the normal order of battle in the ancient world, which concentrated strength in the center. did The Athenians knew that to stay on the defensive in the battle of Marathon would mean returning to a destroyed home, their city plundered and burned. The victory at Marathon may not have been a crushing defeat of Persia as a whole, but it still stands as a major turning point. The Persian forces also included the Immortals, an elite force of 10,000 who were probably better protected with armour and armed with spears. There, they could attempt to bottleneck the Persian attack, minimize the numerical advantage that the Persian army brought, and hopefully keep them from reaching Athens until the Spartans could arrive. Because they were in a religious ceremony and had to wait until the next full moon which was when it But, in late 486 B.C., only a handful of years after Marathon, he became seriously ill. The story of Pheidippides run from Athens to Sparta was recorded by Herodotus and then later corrupted by the Greek historian, Plutarch, into the tragic declaration of victory in Athens just before the runners own demise. This tale of romantic sacrifice then caught the attention of author Robert Browning in 1879, who wrote a poem entitled Pheidippides, which deeply engaged his contemporaries. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The first modern Olympics, held in 1896, used the path from Marathon to Athens and set the course distance at approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles). began the Golden Age of Athens The battle was the culmination of the first attempt by Persia, under King Darius I, to subjugate Greece. A full marathon race is 42.195 km, or 26.2 miles - the exact distance between Marathon and Athens. 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They gave us philosophy, democracy, language, art, and much more; which Great Renaissance thinkers used to dig Europe out of the Dark Ages and deliver it to modernity a reflection of just how advanced the Greeks were for their time. It was a move that ultimately turned into a major tactical error; the Athenians, faced with the same life and death decision, knew that to follow Eretria would mean their death. on the seaside Grecian plain of Marathon. This legendary run is the basis for the modern track and field event. Why did Persia lose the Battle of Marathon? The Clash At Marathon Shaped Greece, And The West Military historian Jim Lacey says the battle of Marathon, where the vastly outnumbered Greeks defeated the Persian army, had a profound impact on Western civilization, and opened an East-West political and cultural divide that shaped the ancient and modern worlds. Cyrus the Great Facts & Achievements | Who was King Cyrus the Great? The Romans also adopted many Greek ideas and further spread them as they conquered their own vast territories. Athenians led a small group of Greek coalition forces to victory against the powerful invading Persian army, which was much larger and much more dangerous. The remaining hoplites, now trapped and without their inspirational king, were subjected to a barrage of Persian arrows until no man was left standing. The distance between the Greeks and the Persians was around one mile, mostly open plains. What happened to Athens after the Battle of Marathon? Herodotus of Halicarnassus. The World History Encyclopedia logo is a registered trademark. Most modern historians believe the Greeks marched at normal speed until they arrived within range of the Persian archers (approximately 200 meters) and then ran the remaining distance in order to close the gap more quickly. World History Encyclopedia, 16 Apr 2013. The Battle of Marathon was a conflict fought in 490 B.C. Many debated whether to attack immediately or wait for the Spartans to come. Cite This Work Those who could afford to do so would wear full bronze armor. Ancient Greek civilization - The Battle of Marathon The Battle of Marathon took place in 490 BC during the first Persian invasion of Greece. The Battle of Marathon in 490 B.C. In those days Greece was not a unified country, but a collection of independent city-states. Depots of equipment and supplies were laid, a canal dug at Chalkidike, and boat bridges built across the Hellespont to facilitate the movement of troops. The Persian army fought with tactics that proved inferior to those of the Greek hoplite armies. Sign up for our free weekly email newsletter! The Greek's further capitalized on this advantage by running into the battle, thus minimizing the amount of time they were exposed to the arrow fire. The Significance of Marathon - Livius It was a decision which bought time for the mobilization of Greek coalition forces that stood victorious against the same enemy at the decisive battles of Salamis and Platea tilting the scales of power in the Greco-Persian Wars towards Greece, and giving birth to an era of Athenian imperial expansion that eventually brought it to fight Sparta in the Peloponnesian War. Mound (soros) in which the Athenian dead were buried after the In around 500 BCE, the Persian Empire looked poised to continue their western expansion and absorb tiny, disunited Greece into their fold. The battle began with an initial stalemate that lasted for five days, after which the Greeks attacked. As Greek and Persian warriors faced each other on the battlefield, the states of China were not yet a unified empire and would soon begin a centuries long period of warfare. Their king, who had watched Persias forces easily consume all that stood in their path in the years leading up to this, was far too terrified to resist the takeover. iPhone History: A Timeline of Every Model in Order They left their infantry to keep the Athenian army occupied at Marathon, but under cover of darkness theyd packed up and loaded their fast-moving cavalry back onto their ships. Persian soldiers, on the other hand, were more lightly armored. There was a single disadvantage, though the hills surrounding the plain of Marathon offered only one exit through which a large army could quickly march, and the Athenians had fortified it, ensuring that any attempt to take it would be dangerous and deadly. To link to this article in the text of an online publication, please use this URL: https://historycooperative.org/the-battle-of-marathon/. WebWhy couldnt the Spartans help the Athenians in the Battle of Marathon right away? Darius sent an army of around 25,000 or 30,000 soldiers to punish the Athenians and take control of Greece. Whatever the case, the Persian horses played no significant role in the coming battle. They also relied on more mixed tactics. Refusing to relent, the Athenians splashed into the sea after them, burning a few ships and managing to capture seven, bringing them to shore. Whatever the exact motives, in 491 BCE Darius sent envoys to call for the Greeks' submission to Persian rule. Michel Bral, of France, suggested recreating the famous poetic run, and the idea caught hold. Thermopylae is a mountain pass near the sea in northern Greece which was the site of several battles in antiquity, the most famous being that between Persians and Greeks in August 480 BCE. By the first years of the 5th century BCE, the Persian Achaemenid Empire, under the rule of Darius I (r. 522-486 BCE), was already expanding into mainland Europe and had subjugated Thrace and Macedonia. They were joined by 1,000 Plataeans and assistance was requested from Sparta. 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. License. The battle of Thermopylae, and particularly the Spartans' role in it, soon acquired mythical status amongst the Greeks. With the re-institution of a modern Olympics in 1896, the organizers of the games hoped for an event that would capture the publics attention and also reflect upon the gilded age of ancient Greece. 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/. It was an attempt by a vengeful Persian king Darius the Great to expand his empire across the Aegean Sea. It states that as dawn broke on the sixth day, the Greeks gazed across the plain of Marathon to see that the Persian cavalry forces had suddenly disappeared, right from under their noses. A fully accurate recounting of the events at Marathon can never truly be known. The answer lies in part with the failure of the first Greco-Persian war, a decade earlier, which ended in the Persian defeat at the Battle of Marathon (now famous for the race that bears its name). Shortly afterward, the Persian center also crumbled and fled. of History, US Military Academy (CC BY-SA). that Darius would make strides towards the conquest of stronger Greek resistance. Aside from ushering in an era of hoplite warfare, it also ensured that Greek ideas would be able to flourish and spread. Pheidippides ran to Sparta, a distance of about 220 kilometers (over 135 miles), in only two days. According to Herodotus, an Athenian runner named Pheidippides was sent to run from Athens to Sparta to ask for assistance before the battle. With no choice but to act, the Greeks took the initiative. Create your account. When news of the invading force reached Greece, the initial Greek reaction was to send a force of 10,000 hoplites to hold position at the valley of Temp near Mt. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Mary has a Master's Degree in History with 18 advanced hours in Government. At the Battle of Marathon, Athens' underdog victory stunned Persia The surprise defeat of the mighty Persian Empire in 490 B.C. The Persian defeat at Marathon halted the Persian Empire's western expansion, and ensured continued Greek independence. The Battle of Marathon In the wake of the Ionian Revolt (499 BC-494 BC), the emperor of the Persian Empire, Darius I, dispatched an army to Greece to punish those city-states that had aided the rebels. Athenians led a small group of Greek coalition forces to victory Who was the winner of the Battle of Marathon? The Greeks learning these lessons when they did had a powerful impact on the course of world history. Ten years later the Persians returned and achieved several victories before being expelled from Greece. The Greek tactic of feigning a disorganised retreat and then turning on the enemy in the phalanx formation also worked well, lessening the threat from Persian arrows and perhaps the hoplites surprised the Persians with their disciplined mobility, a benefit of being a professionally trained army. And they possessed one final secret weapon against their enemy, by the name of Miltiades the general who led the attack. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. Herodotus, born a few years after the battle, based his judgment on eyewitness accounts. 15 Significant Facts about the Battle of Marathon The Greek hoplite army's victory at Marathon ensured that the Greek city-states would continue to be independent, rather than becoming just another part of the Persian Empire. In 490 BCE Greek forces led by Athens met the Persians in battle at Marathon and defeated the invaders. If your web page requires an HTML link, please insert this code: The Battle of Marathon: The Greco-Persian Wars Advance on Athens. He ran a distance of over 225 kilometers (140 miles), arriving in Sparta the day after he left. Consequences. Persia wanted revenge for Athens disrespect, and they were going to get it. What effect did the Battle of Marathon have? Using innovative tactics, he succeeded in trapping the Persians in a double envelopment and nearly surrounding their army. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Battle of Marathon date revised | Nature The dry reed buildings went up like tinder, and the resulting inferno consumed the city. Led by Mardonius, this force succeeded in subjugating Thrace and Macedonia in 492 BC. This made the Persian archers much less effective against them. 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. At that time, the Ionian Greeks were subject to the Persian King Darius I. Although the Persian tactic of rapidly firing vast numbers of arrows into the enemy must have been an awesome sight, the lightness of the arrows meant that they were largely ineffective against the bronze-armoured hoplites. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. World History Encyclopedia is a non-profit organization. The struggle between the rapidly growing Persian Empire and Greece had been an ongoing conflict for years, before the Battle of Marathon itself took place. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. They were accepted as a vassal kingdom of Persia, and in doing so, opened a route for Persian influence and rule into Greece. They then joined and turned around to attack the Persian center from behind, routing the entire Persian army. When the Greeks held their position, Xerxes once again sent envoys to offer the defenders a last chance to surrender without bloodshed if the Greeks would only lay down their arms. The second day followed the pattern of the first, and the Greek forces still held the pass. After nearly a week of inaction, the Greek commander, Militiades, moved forward to attack despite being badly outnumbered. The victory helped boost Greek morale and inspired confidence that their military could beat the Persians. A soldier by the name of Pheidippides burst through still clad in full armor, splattered with blood and dripping with sweat. At this point, the Greek center struggled against the Persian center. This was compounded by the Greek's decision to run into the battle, limiting their exposure to the Persian arrows. The Athenians also famously used day runners to send messages asking for help. Submitted by Mark Cartwright, published on 16 April 2013. Many insisted that surrendering and begging for terms would save them, but Datis the Persian general and his forces sent a clear message after burning and enslaving Athens neighboring city. "Battle of Thermopylae." Figure 2: A possible position of the Greek and Persian armies in an initial stand-off at Marathon. Greco-Persian WarsKelly Macquire (CC BY-NC-SA). That hope for leniency was met with severe and brutal disappointment as the Persians sacked the city, burned the temples, and enslaved the population. Responding to the impending crisis, Athens raised around 9,000 hoplites and dispatched them to Marathon where they blocked the exits from the nearby plain and prevented the enemy from moving inland. What were the consequences of the battle of Marathon? There are three different ways you can cite this article. Political Aspects of the Classical Age of Greece, Wars of the Alexander the Great: Battle of Chaeronea, Persian Wars - Battle of Marathon - 490 BCE, Biography of Artemisia I, Warrior Queen of Halicarnassus, Rulers of the Persian Empire: Expansionism of Cyrus and Darius, The Battle of Gaugamela During the Wars of Alexander the Great, The Peloponnesian War: Causes of the Conflict, M.S., Information and Library Science, Drexel University, B.A., History and Political Science, Pennsylvania State University. The battle proved the superiority of the Greek long spear, sword, and armour over the Persians weapons. on the seaside Grecian plain of Marathon. THEN THE GREEKS MARCHED BACK TO ATHENS TO DEFEND THE CITY AGAINST And, forced into action, they took their stand in Marathon. Tomb of the Plataeans at Marathon. This allowed Greek ideas to further develop and spread, greatly influencing the Western world even today.
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