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. The battle proved the superiority of the Greek long spear, sword, and armour over the Persians weapons. When word was brought to Darius, his first response was to inquire as to who the Athenians were. 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. Why was the Battle of Marathon fought in Greece? 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. Athens had been spared the revenge of Darius, though the Persian king was far from finished. Cartwright, M. (2013, April 16). A fully accurate recounting of the events at Marathon can never truly be known. Epic Battle of Thermopylae Remains One of the 15 Significant Facts about the Battle of Marathon "Battle of Thermopylae." Cartwright, Mark. To link to this article in the text of an online publication, please use this URL: https://historycooperative.org/the-battle-of-marathon/. Meanwhile, the Immortals now entered the fray behind the Greeks who retreated to a high mound behind the Phokian wall. Wild in their fear, some of the Persians tried to escape via the nearby swamps, ignorant and unaware of the treacherous terrain, where they drowned. A victory that proved to them that, together, and with the use of careful timing and tactics, they could stand up to the might of the great Persian Empire. His proclamation, Rejoice! AP World History - Ancient Greece: Tutoring Solution, Psychological Research & Experimental Design, All Teacher Certification Test Prep Courses. The Athenians realized they had only two options to defend their families to the end, or to be killed, very likely tortured, enslaved, or mutilated (as the Persian army had a fun habit of cutting off the ears, noses, and hands of their defeated enemies). On a sweltering summer day, the nine elected magisterial archons of Athens waited breathlessly for news, surrounded by a restless crowd of citizens. The Greeks had no cavalry whatsoever and feared the Persian horses most of all. The Greco-Persian Wars Results & Significance | What Caused the Greco-Persian Wars? With all prepared, the trumpets sounded and Miltiades ordered, At them!. Others scrambled and made it back to the water, floundering to their ships in a panic and rowing quickly away from the dangerous shore. Defeated, the Persians departed from the area and sailed south to attack Athens directly. After a series of political negotiations it became clear that the Persians would not gain victory through diplomacy and the two armies met at Plataea in August 479 BCE. 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. Something they would have to do only a few years later, with the arrival of the seemingly unstoppable invasion by Xerxes I. Datis chose to land his army at the Bay of Marathon, a largely sound military decision, as the natural promontory provided excellent shelter for his ships, and the plains onshore offered good movement for his cavalry. The Greek army charged, running courageously at full speed across the plains of Marathon, a distance of at least 1,500 meters, dodging a barrage of arrows and javelins and plunging directly into the bristling wall of Persian spears and axes. World History Encyclopedia, 16 Apr 2013. 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 victory helped boost Greek morale and inspired confidence that their military could beat the Persians. The Battle of Marathon was fought between the Athenians, with some help from Plataea, and the Persian Empire. Submitted by Mark Cartwright, published on 16 April 2013. Their army, along with a small number of allies, had engaged with a larger force of Persians in the small bay of Marathon desperately hoping that the claustrophobic landscape would prevent the near-invincible forces led by King Darius I from wreaking terrible revenge on the city of Athens. This was, perhaps, to stretch his lines longer in order to avoid being outflanked by the more numerous Persians. The incorrect version of events has Pheidippides running from Marathon to Athens to deliver news of the victory and dying of exhaustion immediately afterwards. 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). Get unlimited access to over 88,000 lessons. 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. This stubbornness forced the two armies to remain at a stalemate for about five days, facing one another across the plain of Marathon with only minor skirmishes breaking out, the Greeks managing to keep hold of their nerve and their defensive line. Unification of Northern China by Shi Huangdi | Who was Qin Shi Huang? 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 490 BCE, they were stopped in their tracks largely by the efforts of a single Greek city, Athens. Sprinting, shouting, furious and ready to attack, that fear was pushed aside, and it must have seemed insane to the Persians. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. In a phalanx formation, the hoplites would stand close together, usually in columns of eight. The battle of Marathon: what happened? During the battle, the right and left wings of the Greek army crushed those of the Persians. 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. Athens, along with the smaller port city of Eretria, were amenable to the cause and readily pledged their assistance. These ideas were spread much further by the conquests of Alexander the Great, who eventually destroyed the Persian Empire in 336 BCE. Olympos, but these withdrew when the massive size of the invading army was revealed. Ten years later the Persians returned and achieved several victories before being expelled from Greece. Refusing to relent, the Athenians splashed into the sea after them, burning a few ships and managing to capture seven, bringing them to shore. The Athenians used day runners to ask for aid from Sparta and Plataea before the start of the battle. I feel like its a lifeline. Persia, with the largest empire in the world, was vastly superior in men and resources and now these would be fully utilised for a full-scale attack. The Persian army had instilled fear in Greek cities for generations, and were believed to be practically undefeatable. Whereas the Greek army consisted entirely of heavy infantry, the Persians consisted mainly of light infantry and archers, in addition to horsemen. 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. Also for the first time in military history, the phalanx in its entirety does not have the same mission. Because they could spread freely, these ideas greatly influenced the history of the world, particularly in the West. Darius' response to this diplomatic outrage was to launch a naval force of 600 ships and 25,000 men to attack the Cyclades and Euboea, leaving the Persians just one step away from the rest of Greece. Surprised by the Greeks' audacity, the Persians rushed to form their lines and inflict damage on the enemy with their archers and slingers (Map). Michel Bral, of France, suggested recreating the famous poetic run, and the idea caught hold. Some sources also indicate that Militiades had learned from Persian deserters that the cavalry was away from the field. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. The Battle of Marathon was the first major victory for the Greeks over the Persians and gave them confidence that they could be defeated. 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. In the face of this, the Greek generals concluded that their only option was to hold a defensive position for as long as possible, wedged between the fortified hills that surrounded the Bay of Marathon. The Battle of Marathon also gave rise to the legend that the Athenian herald Pheidippides ran from the battlefield to Athens to announce the Greek victory before dropping dead. It looks like you were misusing this feature by going too fast. Finally, the Greek commander, Miltiades, elected to attack after receiving favorable omens. It is possible that the Persian cavalry was not present at this time, thus prompting the Greeks to attack at that moment. Xerxes returned home to his palace at Sousa and left the gifted general Mardonius in charge of the invasion. Thermopylae 480 BC: Last stand of the 300, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. The Athenians also famously used day runners to send messages asking for help. Some Rights Reserved (2009-2023) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. Athens and Sparta were able to galvanize a number of cities, previously petrified at the thought of a Persian attack, into defending their homeland. This legendary run is the basis for the modern track and field event. 4 Why was the Battle of Marathon fought in Greece? - Mythology & Facts, Who was Telemachus? 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. Who was the Athenian runner who ran from Athens to Sparta? On the sixth day, however, the Athenians inexplicably abandoned their plan of maintaining a defensive stance and attacked the Persians, a decision that seems foolhardy considering the enemy they faced. The Greeks learning these lessons when they did had a powerful impact on the course of world history. An error occurred trying to load this video. Many debated whether to attack immediately or wait for the Spartans to come. Mound ( soros) in which the Athenian dead were buried after the Battle of Marathon. Why was the battle of Marathon fought? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The Battle of Marathon was a conflict fought in 490 B.C. On his return to Athens, Pheidippides delivered the terrible news that no imminent support could be expected from the Spartans. Persian Emperors List & Timeline | Cyrus, Cambyses II & Darius, SAT Subject Test World History: Practice and Study Guide, NY Regents Exam - Global History and Geography: Test Prep & Practice, NY Regents Exam - Global History and Geography: Help and Review, NY Regents Exam - Global History and Geography: Tutoring Solution, UExcel World Conflicts Since 1900: Study Guide & Test Prep, Prentice Hall World History Connections to Today Volume 1: Online Textbook Help, McDougal Littell Modern World History - Patterns of Interaction: Online Textbook Help, Holt World History - Human Legacy: Online Textbook Help, Harcourt Social Studies - World History: Online Textbook Help, Anne Frank - The Diary of a Young Girl Study Guide, Create an account to start this course today. The Athenians had called upon every available soldier in order to have any chance against the Persians, and yet they were still outnumbered by at least two to one. The Battle of Marathon still has influence on the world today, remembered in the worlds most popular international sporting event the Olympics. If Persia had managed to burn Athens to the ground, what would our world be like, having never heard the words of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle? Rather than continue the fight against Athens elsewhere, the Persians retreated to their own territory. What happened to Athens after the Battle of Marathon? Help us and translate this definition into another language! Greek Dark Ages Facts & Culture | When was the Greek Dark Age? Darius the Great Overview & Quotes | Who was King Darius? The Roman Republic was only six years old. Forming his men, Militiades reinforced his wings by weakening his center. The Battle of Marathon The two opposing armies were essentially representative of the two approaches to Classical warfare - Persian warfare favoured long-range assault using archers followed up with a cavalry charge, whilst the Greeks favoured heavily-armoured hoplites, arranged in a densely packed formation called the phalanx, with each man carrying a heavy round bronze shield and fighting at close quarters using spears and swords. What effect did the Battle of Marathon have? The battle would take on mythical status amongst the Greeks, Upon arriving at Marathon, the Athenians drew up battle lines, but, seeing they were outnumbered by the Persians, waited to attack. Because they were in a religious ceremony and had to wait until the next full moon which was when it 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 Greek right and left wings, however, quickly routed the Persian left and right. 1 What happened to Athens after the Battle of Marathon? In addition to the land forces, the Greek poleis sent a fleet of trireme warships which held position off the coast of Artemision (or Artemisium) on the northern coast of Euboea, 40 nautical miles from Thermopylae. The Battle of Marathon: The Greco-Persian Wars Escalate This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Greek hoplite armies fought in heavier armor and shields than the Persians. 30 Apr 2023. Moreover, the Greek's armor and, particularly, shields helped negate the attacks from Persian archers. Mary has a Master's Degree in History with 18 advanced hours in Government. This may have been due to the Persian's tendency to place inferior troops on their flanks. Thank you! Persian soldiers, on the other hand, were more lightly armored. 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. Cartwright, Mark. Battle of Marathon date revised | Nature did the battle of Marathon Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. 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. This army met an army of about 11,000 Greeks at the bay of Marathon. The Greeks had long been terrified of the Persian army, and even without the cavalry, their enemy still heavily outnumbered them. Just why Greece was coveted by Persia is unclear. After the Athenians impressive defeat of the Persians, Datis the general in charge of leading Darius army withdrew his forces from Grecian territory and returned to Persia. The Battle of Marathon was fought because the Persian Army wanted to defeat the Greek city-states that supported the uprisings in Ionia, part of modern-day Turkey, against the Persian Empire. Why did Terry Fox Run the marathon of Hope? Inspired by Dick Traum, an amputee who had run the New York City Marathon, he decided to run across Canada to raise awareness for cancer. Thats how the Marathon of Hope was born. After training for more than a year, Terry Fox began his nearly impossible feat on April 12, 1980, on the east The Spartans toured the battlefield at Marathon, and agreed that the Athenians had won a great victory. WebThe Athenian Treasury at Delphi was built out of the spoils of the battle. The modern running event takes its name from his supposed actions. Marathon copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. Herodotus writes that before leaving the city, the Athenians sent a runner, Pheidippides, to Sparta to ask for aid. He has a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Michigan. Marathon Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/thermopylae/.