Marathon, located on the eastern coast of Attica, a region in the eastern part of central Greece, was the site of a famous battle. In 490 B.C. Athenian hoplites, heavily armed infantrymen, defeated the larger force of armed troops under the command of King Darius of Persia. This event marked the end of the first phase of the Persian Wars.
Marathon is situated on a coastal plain—about two miles wide and five miles long—northeast of Athens. In 490 B.C. Darius—the king of Persia—invaded Greece. The Athenians were urged by Miltiades, their strategos, or military commander, to meet the Persian force at Marathon. There the Athenians, backed up by their Plataean allies, took a defensive position. The combined Greek force of about 10,000 men faced a Persian army twice as large that included infantrymen, archers, and cavalry. The bulk of the Persian cavalry did not participate in the battle, however, and the Athenians, feeling bold, decided to advance. Under Miltiades’ command, the Athenians lengthened their lines by thinning the center. When they came within range of hitting their targets, they broke into a run and thrust their long spears into the enemy rather than hurling them.
While the Persians attacked the center of the Athenian force, the stronger ends of the Athenian line valiantly defeated their foes. The victorious end-line Athenian warriors then closed in on the Persian center as it returned from pursuing the Greeks. The Greeks chased the remaining Persians to their fleet, which was waiting in a nearby bay, and captured seven of the Persian ships. The Greeks allegedly killed about 6,400 Persians in the Battle of Marathon but lost only 192 of their own. The Athenian dead were buried under a mound at the site.
The Greek troops had expected help from Sparta, but it never came. According to the Greek historian Herodotus, the Athenians sent a runner named Pheidippides to Sparta to ask for help. He arrived in Sparta the day after he left Athens, having covered a distance of about 125 miles. The Spartans could not come in time because of a religious festival.
Legend has obscured the historian’s account, however. According to legend, Pheidippides ran a little more than 26 miles from Athens to Marathon in order to join the battle. He then ran back to Athens to announce the Greek victory to the populace. After announcing the victory, Pheidippides died from exhaustion. His heroism gave rise to the modern-day foot race called a marathon. A marathon was part of the first modern Olympic Games, which were held in Athens in 1896. (See also Wars and Warfare, Greek.)
“GREEKS TROUNCE PERSIANS AT MARATHON!"
If the ancient Greeks had had newspapers, this headline might have been the most famous one of 490 B.C. The Greek victory over Persia at Marathon was made possible by the valor of the determined and well-coordinated hoplites. Each hoplite was protected by a bronze helmet that covered most of his face. A tough garment made of layers of heavy linen covered the upper body. Bronze shin guards, ailed greaves, covered the front and back of the lower leg. The hoplite used a large wooden shield to ward off blows and arried a long spear for thrusting into the enemy.