Battle of Marathon

Significance

The Battle of Marathon was the culmination of the first Persian attempt, under King Darius I, to subjugate Greece. A combined Athenian and Plataean force faced a numerically superior Persian army commanded by Datis and Artaphernes, with the Persians fielding roughly double the Greek strength. The Greek army inflicted a crushing defeat on the Persian force, recorded Persian casualties standing at around 6,400. The outcome marked a turning point in the Greco-Persian Wars, demonstrating that Greek citizen forces could defeat a major Achaemenid army in open battle and halting the first Persian invasion of Greece.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (10)