1. BATTLE OF MARATHON
THE ATTACK ON ATHENS: 490 BC
ANTHONY ENRIQUEZ

2. INTRODUCTION
Greek city states such as Athens and Sparta had often fought
among themselves, though the Greek’s great, potential and
dangerous foreign enemy was Persia. During the 5th century
BC, Greek city states and the Persian Empire clashed in a
series of wars. These wars between Greece and Persia were
known as the Greco-Persian Wars and lasted until 448 BC.
Historically, the Greek armies were quite small in comparison
to the Persian army. Though considered underdogs
throughout the course of the war, the Greeks were relentless
and never gave in to the Persians. Of importance of all battles
fought between the Greeks and Persian, the Battle at
Marathon was deemed one of the significant battles fought in
antiquity.

3. DARIUS I AND ATHENS Persia had several reasons
for their attack on Athens
at Marathon:
Eretria was to be punished.
Capture of Athens - foothold on central Greece.
Persian influence - extended over the whole of Greece

4. THE BATTLE OF MARATHON, 490 BC
Darius I - land his army at Marathon (march on to Athens).
Athens - dire need of help; Sparta for forces to join in the battle.
Sparta sent 600 hoplites to join Athens’s 9000 hoplites.
Greek army - led by War Archon Callimachus and Miltiades.
Persian army infantry, 5000 cavalry, 200 triremes and sailors.
Greeks lined up and advanced across the plain of Marathon – towards Persian army.

5. THE BATTLE OF MARATHON, 490 BC
Callimachus - right flank; Plateans – left flank.
Tactic – (Greek) More hoplites on the flanks than in the centre.
Flanks - Persians overpowered by Greeks; the centre, Persians had broken through Greek defence.
Strong tactics and leadership led to the collapse of the Persian offence and therefore a defeat for the Persian Empire.
March on to Athens (Greeks) – to prevent another invasion.
Causalities dead (Persians) to only 192 men (Greeks).

6. IMAGES

8. WHY THE ATHENIANS AND PLATAEANS WON AT MARATHON?
No #1: Leadership and Strategy
Miltiades had first-hand knowledge and experience of Persian methods
Choice – Marathon proving suitable for the Athenians (strategic)
Time – right time to engage the Persians
Absence of Persian cavalry
Persians – confined to sea and the hills (chance of escape to N) - Escape

9. WHY THE ATHENIANS AND PLATAEANS WON AT MARATHON?
No #2: Skill, discipline
and arms of the Athenian
and Plataean hoplites
Greek hoplites – more disciplined
Bronze-visored helmets, solid bronze breastplates, shields and javelins

10. WHY THE ATHENIANS AND PLATAEANS WON AT MARATHON?
No #3: Greeks’
defence of their
freedom
Desire for freedom

11. WHY THE ATHENIANS AND PLATAEANS WON AT MARATHON?
No #4: Fear of Sparta’s
arrival
Spartans – ‘real’ influence on the campaign

12. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MARATHON
For the Persians:
‘Reality check’ - Persia’s plans for Western Expansion.
Left Persia weakened for the moment.
Darius I - Determined
Realization - the mistake in their strategy. In any future invasion they would return to the plan of Mardonius in 942; that is, a combined military and naval advance around the northern Aegean.
Preparation - more careful preparations

13. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MARATHON
For the Greeks;
‘Moral victory’ for Athens.
Belief – Persians were unbeatable (UNTRUE).
Spartans learnt of the conditions under which the Persian infantry could be defeated.
Greeks underestimate danger - However, in their optimism the Greeks underestimated the future danger to them. Plutarch says, believed that Marathon ‘was only the prelude to a far greater struggle’.
Victory for democracy.

14. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MARATHON
Athens gained in prestige.
Marathon - the image of the ‘men of Marathon’ took on heroic proportions.
Victory was almost unbelievable.
The overwhelming might of the Persian Empire could be defeated.
The victory for the rest of Greece.

15. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MARATHON
Honour and glory, praise and prestige for this defeat of the barbarian - becoming the first city in Greece.
The most obvious example of this is the Marathon race.
The poet Pindar lauded Athens as ‘Bulwark of Hellas … city of doglike men.’ Marathon loomed large in the Athenian psyche; the men of Marathon were regarded as heroes.
Athenians and the rest of Greece honoured the Marathon fighters.

16. Mound of Marathon
Bronze helmet

17. THE ‘PROCESS’ Essay: Structure: Introduction, Body, Conclusion
Day by day adding information to the essay
Essay count: Approx

18. DIFFICULTIES Difficulties: Time Management No ‘Internet’
Essaying – structure; making it right; ‘great’
Sources – books and Internet
Wasting time during class

19. IMPROVEMENTS Time Management
Affiliation of Keywords – outline, evaluate
Proper use of sources
Essay – ‘good’ standards
Completion – not doing it before the day its due
Speech

20. BIBLIOGRAPHY

21. BIBLIOGRAPHY

22. BIBLIOGRAPHY Ancient Greece: Using Evidence, Pamela Bradley
Your Ancient Greece, John D. Clare
The Greeks, Roy Burrell