Battle of Marathon II

7/28/2019 Battle of Marathon II

1/7

MarathonAugust [?], 490 BC

Strategic Context

A Persian rearguard has encamped on the plain of Marathon while the main force

threatens Athens by sea. Former Athenian tyrant, Hippias, has accompanied the

Persians in the hopes of provoking political upheaval in Athens. Most of Greece is

intimidated into inaction while even the Spartans do not fight due to a religious festival;

only tiny Platea comes to Athens defence. The Athenians must secure a quick victory

before Athenian politics betray their cause.

Stakes

+A Persian victory would result in the

capture of Athens and the subsequentcollapse of the rest of northern Greece.

+An Athenian victory would allow them to

march to Athens defence and repel the

Persian invasion.

By Jonathan Webb, 2008

No Image

Avai lable


2/7

Marathon, 490 BCStrength

Athenians & Plataeans

Well

Persians

Datis

Well

Militiades

11,000 hoplites19,000 light infantry,

archers and missile

throwers

1,000 cavalry



3/7


4/7

Miltiades deploys his army in a long, thin line across the valley to prevent the Persian cavalry from rounding his flanks.

Datis extends his line accordingly to prevent encirclement. Miltiades places more weight on his wings at the expense of his

center while Datis distributes his troops evenly but places his heavier elite infantry, the Immortals, at his center.

The Athenians sprint towards the Persians, the wings edging ahead of the center, in order to negate the Persian

advantage of having significant numbers of missile throwers. The Persian missile throwers underestimate the fitness of the

hoplites and the speed of their advance; most of their missiles land harmlessly behind the Athenians.

Not surprisingly, the greater weight of Miltiades wings push back those of the lightly armoured Persians while Datis

Immortals push back the thinly manned Athenian center. Due to the surprise achieved, the Persian cavalry was on a

foraging assignment and is only now ready to partake in the battle.

Persians

(Datis)

Persians

(Datis)

19,000 light infantry, archersand javelin throwers

1,000 cavalry


(Miltiades)

11,000 hoplites

Athenians & Plateans

(Miltiades)

The Immortals

The Immortals are Persias most elite unit

which double as an imperial guard andconventional land force. Their numerical

strength is always supplemented to 10,000,

dead or wounded being replaced immediately.

This is done to preserve the cohesion and

mystique of the unit.


5/7

Some Persians drown after unknowingly running into marshland. The remaining Persian units are pounded by the

Athenian hoplites on the beaches, where they suffer the majority of their casualties. Although the Persians escape by sea,

the Athenians capture seven of their ships.

Not surprisingly, the greater weight of Miltiades wings push back those of the lightly armoured Persians while Datis

Immortals push back the thinly manned Athenian center. Due to the surprise achieved, the Persian cavalry was on a

foraging assignment and is only now ready to partake in the battle.

Sensing the danger to his centre, Miltiades orders it to hang back. Datis however does not sense the danger to his wings.

Just as the Athenian center appears to break, the Persian wings are soundly defeated and retreat in disarray. The

Athenian wings surround the Persian centre and begin to assault its flanks.

The Persians are still numerically superior so Miltiades leaves a passage of retreat, knowing a desperate enemy fights its

hardest. The Persian center, besieged on three sides, panics and retreats in disarray along with the wings. The Persian

cavalry counterattacks before being swept away, but this allows Datis to organize a rearguard.

Persians

(Datis)

Athenians & Plateans

(Miltiades)

Persians

(Datis)

19,000 light infantry, archersand javelin throwers

1,000 cavalry


(Miltiades)

11,000 hoplites

The Immortals

The Immortals are Persias most elite unit

which double as an imperial guard andconventional land force. Their numerical

strength is always supplemented to 10,000,

dead or wounded being replaced immediately.

This is done to preserve the cohesion and

mystique of the unit.


6/7

Athenians & Plateans:Persians:

6,400

or

32%

>200

or

2%


Marathon, 490 BCCasualties & Aftermath

The Athenians had little time to celebrate their victory as Athens itself was still

undefended. The Greek hoplites arrived in Athens before the Persian fleet

which then saw the triumphant army, hesitated and sailed away, effectively

ending the Persian expedition. It would be another decade before a Persian

force invaded Greece again.


7/7

The Art of Battle:Animated Battle Maps

http://www.the-art-of-battle.350.com/

http://www.the-art-of-battle.350.com/http://www.the-art-of-battle.350.com/http://www.the-art-of-battle.350.com/http://www.the-art-of-battle.350.com/http://www.the-art-of-battle.350.com/http://www.the-art-of-battle.350.com/http://www.the-art-of-battle.350.com/http://www.the-art-of-battle.350.com/

Battle of Marathon II

Documents

Transcript of Battle of Marathon II