In 540 B.C., The expansion minded Persian empire conquered the Greek province of Ionia (now western Turkey). Persian satraps (governors) ruled this area from the city of Sardis. These satraps were tyrannical in their rule, and in 499 B.C. a revolt began. The Ionians looked to their motherland of Greece, particularly Athens for help. Athens responded and sent troops across the Aegean to help. The Greek province of Eretria also sent help in the form of troops.
There was some early success -- The city of Sardis was burned to the ground -- but the Persians soon put down the revolt; the Athenians, and Eretrians barely managing to escape back to Greece.
The Persian King Darius was enraged at the Athenians and the Eretrians and vowed revenge.
In 490 B.C. Darius, true to his word, sent a fleet of 600 ships across the Aegean carrying a combined force of infantry and cavalry numbering somewhere between 20,000 to 100,000 men (the consensus appears to be around 25,000 men).
After subduing Eretria, north of Athens, the massive fleet sailed down the coast and began landing troops at the Bay of Marathon approximately 25 miles from Athens.
In the meantime, Athens had sent messengers to Sparta asking for aid.
But the Spartans, a deeply religious people, were in the midst of the festival of Carneia. They were sympathetic, but would not be willing to send troops until the next full moon when the festival was over.
So the Athenians would be on their own for awhile (at least 10 days), but the Persians were landing at Marathon. Something had to be done right away.
The Athenians heatedly debated their course of action. Should they hunker down in Athens, or should they go out and meet the Persians.
After a fierce debate, a combined force from Athens and Plataea of around 10,000-11,000 men raced to Marathon to try to bottle up the Persians.
The Athenian army was commanded by the "10 Generals", who in theory rotated the leadership of the army daily, but in practice tended to lean on one particular general - Miltiades (Mil-tie-a-dees)
It was Miltiades who managed to convince everyone else on this course of action.
Miltiades decides to bottle up the Persians by blocking the exits from the Marathon Plain into the mountain passes. He knew that time was on his side. If he could just hold the position for about 10 days, the Spartans would arrive to perhaps tip the balance in the Greek's favor.
But Miltiades also knows that he does not have enough troops to adequately cover the width of the valley at the mouth of the Marathon Plain.
For the first 5 days, the two sides simply stared at each other from a distance of about a mile away, neither willing to commit to attacking the other.
What happened next is open to debate, but it was probably the Persians who decided to attack first, as all the Athenians had to do was to keep waiting -- Sparta would be there in a few more days with their army.
The Athenian army was deployed in three wings. The center, the left, and the right wings. They used their standard "phalanx" formation of interlocking shields, long spears pointing forward. Typically, they would fight in platoons of eight men in line, four ranks deep each.
But then Miltiades does something unexpected. He weakens his center wing and strengthens his two flank wings.
And from the Persian point of view, he does the incomprehensible. Miltiades orders his center wing to charge the oncoming Persians at a run.
To the Persians, it must have looked like a suicide attack.
The Greek center and the Persians fight it out in a wild melee, the Greeks gradually giving ground. As the Greeks gave way, the Persians followed.
As the retreating Greeks pulled the Persians further into the now narrowing valley, the up to now hidden Greek flank wings struck the preoccupied Persians on their exposed flanks.
It was too much. Soon the Persians were retreating in a rout back to their ships.
Miltiades knew that it would take the Persians time to board their ships, so he chose to rest his men for a short time before resuming the attack.
On resuming the attack, more Persians were slaughtered as they were trying to board the ships. Some Persians tried to escape to the south, but drowned in the swamp that barred their way.
The Athenians managed to capture seven of the Persian ships.
But it wasn't over yet.
A runner was dispatched to Athens (25-26 miles away) to inform the leaders of the victory. Legend has it that this runner, upon reaching his destination shouted "Nike!" (victory), then dropped dead from either a heart attack or stroke.
But a second runner was then dispatched when it was seen that the Persian ships were not heading back across the Aegean, but instead were heading south towards Athens.
The second runner was sent as a warning to get ready -- The Persians are coming.
Miltiades now force-marched his exhausted men by night in a race to beat the Persians to Athens.
The Greeks won the race.
The Persians, seeing that the Greeks were waiting for them, decided to withdraw.
Athens was saved -- for now.
The Athenian army suffered 192 casualties. Their Plataean allies suffered 11 casualties. The Persians suffered 6,400 dead (wounded unknown), and seven ships captured. It was a humiliating defeat for the Persians, and a great victory for the Athenians. It was now shown that the heretofore invincible Persians were not so invincible after all.
But the Persians would be back.
