Battle of Marathon

Overview

The Battle of Marathon took place in 490 BC during the first Persian invasion of Greece. It was fought between the citizens of Athens, aided by Plataea, and a Persian force commanded by Datis and Artaphernes. The battle was the culmination of the first attempt by Persia under King Darius I to subjugate Greece. The Greek army inflicted a crushing defeat on the more numerous Persians, marking a turning point in the Greco-Persian Wars.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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)