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 decision to invade Greece was made by King Darius I in response to the Ionians for their revolt against his reign. Prior to this, Athens and Eretria had joined the revolt in support of their fellow Greeks. The initial capture of Sardis by the allies resulted in a temporary Pyrrhic victory as a result of the heavy casualty numbers they sustained. Ultimately, the Persians crushed the revolt and retook Ionia. Fuming at the brazen attempt by the allies, King Darius I swore to seek vengeance against Eretria and Athens by completely obliterating the two cities.
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.
Before their march, they had dispatched a message to the Spartans asking for support. However, their request was denied as the Spartans were concurrently celebrating a religious festival. According to the renowned historian Herodotus, the person dispatching the message from Athens ran more than 140 miles to Sparta, arriving the day after. His feat achieved legendary status, with the inspiration for the modern race credited to him.
As customary practice during war, the Athenian commanders selected a mountainous and perilously marshy region to act as the battlefield. This decision forced the invading Persian army to break its ranks. It was then attacked from the flanks, with majority of the Persians in the middle of the Athenians.
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 decision to invade Greece was made by King Darius I in response to the Ionians for their revolt against his reign. Prior to this, Athens and Eretria had joined the revolt in support of their fellow Greeks. The initial capture of Sardis by the allies resulted in a temporary Pyrrhic victory as a result of the heavy casualty numbers they sustained. Ultimately, the Persians crushed the revolt and retook Ionia. Fuming at the brazen attempt by the allies, King Darius I swore to seek vengeance against Eretria and Athens by completely obliterating the two cities.
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.
Before their march, they had dispatched a message to the Spartans asking for support. However, their request was denied as the Spartans were concurrently celebrating a religious festival. According to the renowned historian Herodotus, the person dispatching the message from Athens ran more than 140 miles to Sparta, arriving the day after. His feat achieved legendary status, with the inspiration for the modern race credited to him.
As customary practice during war, the Athenian commanders selected a mountainous and perilously marshy region to act as the battlefield. This decision forced the invading Persian army to break its ranks. It was then attacked from the flanks, with majority of the Persians in the middle of the Athenians.
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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