BATTLE OF MARATHON
What was the battle of Marathon's significance
No longer believed that Persians were unbeatable Athens gained military prestige as they had won alone Underestimated the future danger of the Persians
6.94-140
While Aegina and Athens are at each other's throats, the Persian king Darius continues to make plans for the punishment of the Athenians and Eretrians. Mardonius is relieved from his command and replaced by the Median general Datis (above) and Artaphernes, the governor of Lydia (not to be confused with his father Artaphernes, who had held the same position). In their company is Hippias, the tyrant who had been expelled from Athens by Cleomenes, two decades ago (above). He could still count on some support in Athens. The Persians spend a year building a new navy of no less than six hundred vessels. The new commanders depart from Miletus and avoid the Athos promontory. Their first target is Naxos, the island that Artaphernes' father had once tried to occupy (above). It offers no resistance to the Persian fleet, which soon subdues almost every island in the Aegean Sea. They bring large sacrifices to Apollo when they stay on Delos.
What was the aim of the Persian in the Battle of Marathon?
to advance on Athens or to lure Athenian army to Nth where they could be easily attacked. 30000 hoplites (5000 were cavalry)
What equitpment did the Greeks use?
•Equipment: •Greaves - lower leg protection •Cuirass - breastplate made of many layers of linen and leather •A helmet - metal •Each hoplite - armed with a spear, sword & a shield or hoplon on the left side of the soldier •They fought hand to hand
what statement from Herodotus described the Battle tactic of the Greek Army
'the two wings were strong, but the line in the centre was only a few ranks deep' this enabled the Greeks to encircle the Persians as they charged at them, hence altering the battle to advantage the Greek army. 'The Persians relied primarily on their archers to demoralise and break up the enemy's line'
who was the Greek Leader?
Callimachus - Primary commanded the Athenian forces, Miltiades being his advisor Miltiades - led the Athenians.
What happened at the Battle of Marathon?
Took up a position in the foothills, barring the way to Athens - joined by 1000 Plataean hoplites - camp defended by felled trees - prevented cavalry Stalemate prevailed - Miltiades persuaded the pole march Callimachus to march out to Marathon rather than remain in Athens and defend the city as he argued 'Athenians have never been in such peril as they are now' Ionian spies informed Miltiades of Persian plan to Athens Athenian runner dispatched to Sparta yet they were celebrating a religious festival Absence of cavalry crucial to Greeks as they now stood chance Miltiades persuaded army to meet Persians at a run to avoid the arrows o Seized opportune moment to attack o Deployment of troops with weak centre led to Greeks enveloping the Persians Miltiades sent a runner back to Athens to tell of the victory. Two burial mounds were raised - 1 for Athenians and the other for Plataeans - unusual funeral practice as tomb was made on the spot & has since been respected as a war memorial.
What were the Tactics used by the Greeks?
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When was the Battle of Marathon?
490 BC
What were the tactics used by the Persians?
ADV - harbour for the ships, flat plain for the cavalry, outnumbered Greeks Persians became restless and knew Spartans were imminent. Decided to travel to Phaleron Bay to raid Athens before Spartans could arrive or Athenians return to Athens Persian cavalry left by ship & infantry remained to defend The Persians were helpless without their cavalry as their army was lightly clad and were no match for the well trained Greek phalanx.
What was the cause of the Battle of a Marathon?
Athens and Eretria should not escape unpunished. Their connection with the burning of Sardis had deeply incensed him; it seemed an insult which the Great King's pride could not let pass unnoticed" - Sealey
Who was the Persian Leader? And what was his motivation?
Darius I - Persian king whom wanted to punish the Atheniand for attakcing on Sardis during the Ionian Revolt - also wanted to have Persian influence over the whole of Greece
What was the significance of the Battle of Marathon for the persians?
First real check to Persia's plans for western expansion Temporary setback did not deter the Persians Learned a great deal about the Greeks - needed a combined naval and land advance Believed far greater forces and more careful preparation would be necessary for next time.
Summary of the Battle of Marathon
The war between the Persian and the Greeks was instigated when Athens and Eretria made the fatal mistake of involving themselves in the 'Ionian Revolt'. As a result the help given by the Athenians to the Ionians according to Pamela Bradley (modern historian) - "drew upon them the vengeance of Darius, who now set in motion his first expedition against Greece". The first expedition by the Persians, led by Darius I (the king of Persia), is known today as the Battle of Marathon in 490 B.C. A crucial factor that contributed to why the Persians were defeated at the battle of Marathon (490 BC) is the inadequate tactics and skills within the Persian army. Combined with Darius's leadership which lacked foresight left the Persian army defenceless against the innovative battle strategy the Greek leaders Callimachus and Miltiades employed; which according to Bradley "played directly on Persian weaknesses". They barred the way to Athens and rendered the Persian cavalry useless. Their numbers which they were counting on to win was rendered useless when their archers were charged, allowing the Greeks to avoid the arrows. This was disastrous for the Persians because as Herodotus writes "the Persians relied primarily on their archers to demoralise and break up the enemy lines", therefore they lost yet another one their greatest advantages due to the short sightedness of the Persian leaders. The Persians lack of prearranged alternatives, one of many fatal mistakes. The fact that the Persian cavalry took no part in the battle is one of the major reasons for the Persian loss and Greek victory at the battle of Marathon. Without their cavalry and archers (that allowed them to kill from great distances) they were forced to fight hand-to-hand which severely disadvantaged the Persian soldiers once again who in contrast could not match the superiorly trained and armed soldiers that were the Greek Hoplites. The inadequate armoury and weapons that the Persian solders possessed is a key factor in the defeat of the Persians in the battle of Marathon. Herodotus's statement "the Persians wore no armour" comments upon how lightly clad and ill trained in hand-to-hand combat the Persian soldiers were. They were lightly dressed carrying only a wicker shield, bows/arrows and sometimes scales were sown into their leather vests; in contrast to the Greeks bronze helmets, Cuirass's (breastplates), a hoplon (shield), spear and a short stabbing sword. Furthermore the Hoplites were trained to work as a team (unlike the Persians) and were packed into dense ranks called Phalanx. Hence when Miltiades implemented his plan of letting the centre rank to be pushed back so the two strong wings could close in from behind, the Persians were slaughtered. The battle of Marathon according to Herodotus ended with the death of "6,400 Persians; the losses of the Athenians 192". The Battle of Marathon was significant because it proved to the Greeks that the Persians were not 'invincible', which boosted the moral of the Greek troops, increasing their confidence to incline themselves in a common cause if the Persian attacked again (which they would). However the Persian did not learn from their mistakes at Marathon and repeated them time and time again in the subsequent battles that followed, which is largely part of why they were responsible for their own defeat.
Analysis
This sacrifice may seem remarkable, but it is not. The Persians were tolerant towards foreign religions -one might recall how Cyrus the Great allowed to Jews to return home from Babylon- but in this case, there may have been an extra reason. Apollo was the Greek god of wisdom and may have been thought of as the Greek equivalent of the Persian supreme god Ahuramazda, whose name means the Wise Lord. Herodotus presents the campaign to the west as the Persian revenge for the destruction of the sanctuary at Sardes. This is almost certainly incorrect, but Herodotus loves to see patterns of action and reaction: his normal view on causality. In reality, the aims of the expedition of Datis and the younger Artaphernes were different: to add the islands to the empire, and, in doing so, creating a buffer zone between Ionia and the Greek mainland. The same project had been proposed by Aristagoras when he and the elder Artaphernes attacked Naxos. The Persian aims were, therefore, to conquer Naxos and the other islands, and to occupy Euboea (with its capital Eretria). They also tried to bring back Hippias to Athens.
What was the Greeks Aim in the Battle of Marathon?
To stop the Persian advancment onto Greek soil
What happened at the Battle of Marathon?
Took up a position in the foothills, barring the way to Athens - joined by 1000 Plataean hoplites - camp defended by felled trees - prevented cavalry Stalemate prevailed - Miltiades persuaded the pole march Callimachus to march out to Marathon rather than remain in Athens and defend the city as he argued 'Athenians have never been in such peril as they are now' Ionian spies informed Miltiades of Persian plan to Athens Athenian runner dispatched to Sparta yet they were celebrating a religious festival Absence of cavalry crucial to Greeks as they now stood chance Miltiades persuaded army to meet Persians at a run to avoid the arrows o Seized opportune moment to attack o Deployment of troops with weak centre led to Greeks enveloping the Persians Miltiades sent a runner back to Athens to tell of the victory. Two burial mounds were raised - 1 for Athenians and the other for Plataeans - unusual funeral practice as tomb was made on the spot & has since been respected as a war memorial.
What advantage did the Greeks have?
knew the terrain well, and were better prepared and better able to use the area to their adv
What equiptment dd the Persians use?
• Equipment: • Fought from a distance • Used a bow as their main weapon • Wore little to no armour • Used a wicker shield • Used cavalry to fight
What were the consequences of Marathon for the Greks?
• Motivation - fighting for their homeland •The Athenians gained self-confidence, pride and saw that the Persians could be beaten. •Prestige for Athens •Massive Persian loses (Herodotus numbers are probably inflated) •Other Greeks could see that Persia could be beaten •Victory for democracy •Check on Persia's westward expansion •Persia would be back (learn from the mistakes) •It was also an inspirational for the Greeks and the victory would encourage them in future conflicts. •The hoplite phalanx proved to be superior to the Persian forces. •Athens rose to prominence as a military power •Athenian democratic institution was utilised, eg ostracism and the promotion of generals to chief officers of the state. •Local conflicts started again in Athens.
Why did the Greeks win?
• The Greeks knew the terrain at Marathon. •Discipline of the hoplites •Superior tactics •Miltiades knew the Persian way of fighting •Equipment was appropriate for type of fighting •The Persians chose Marathon as a good plain for their cavalry, yet they could not use the horses in the sudden attack because the animals were in the process of embarking. •Miltiades understood the Persian tactics and countered them. •The hoplites were better armed and protected with their heavy shields (hoplons), visored helmets and bronze corselets. •The Persian archers were countered by the Athenian run charge. •The hoplites fought as a drilled unit of armoured infantry. •The Persians fought in the old-fashioned and uncoordinated style. •6400 Persians and 192 Athenians killed. (according to Herodotus)
What were the consequences of Marathon for the Persians?
• The Persian fleet diminished. • Persians were able to be beaten - a big surprise and a huge issue for their morale.
