Marathon 490BC

Question 1

Invasion of 490 BC

Answer 1

• Persians attack Greece to seek revenge against Athens for assisting in Ionian revolt (herodotus)
• However battle was already highly likely as Darius’ expanded westward
• Persian support for the Hippias (Athenian ex-tyrant) shows Darius may have sought to absorb Athens not destroy it
• Sparta and Athens caused serious offense by putting messengers to death
• Persian command given to Datis and Artaphernes (persian generals) after Mardonious injured in ionian revolt
• Persian fleet captured Naxos and burnt temples, then Eretria and Euboea was sacked and imprisoned (in retaliation for Sardis)

Question 2

Battle of Marathon

Answer 2

• Persians landed at Marathon guided by Hippias, best place for cavalry + offered shelter + protection for ships
• Persian force roughly 3x larger than athenian 30,000:11,000
• Greeks wore heavy defensive armour (hoplites), Persians did not grapple in hand to hand combat, used bow, wore little armour
• For several days no one prepared for attack
• Miltiades saw unsurity of Athenian troops, convince war archon Callimachus to vote in favour of battle
• Greek decision to fight based of ‘the suda’ message conveyed to greeks by Ionian spies “the horseman are away”
• Persians pushed into weak Athenian centre, became surrounded by wings, destroyed

Question 3

Miltiades

Answer 3

• Miltiades (ex persian tyrant) had intiamte understanding of Persian battle tactics
• “never had we athenians been in such peril as now” herodotus
• Herodotus attributes win to Miltiades

Question 4

Why did Athens win?

Answer 4

• skilled leadership of Miltiades
• Better armour
• Better use of terrain, cavalry neutralised
• Strong morale (fighting for homeland) and more cohesive army

Question 5

Signifigance

Answer 5

• Athens recieved honor and glory (sparta usually regarded as leading military state)
• First deafeat of Persians - shows they could be beat