BATTLE OF MARATHON

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BATTLE OF MARATHON
THE ATTACK ON ATHENS 490 BC

• ANTHONY ENRIQUEZ

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INTRODUCTION

• Greek city states such as Athens and Sparta had
  often fought
• among themselves, though the Greeks 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.

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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

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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 Athenss 9000
  hoplites.
• Greek army - led by War Archon Callimachus and
  Miltiades.
• Persian army - 20 000 infantry, 5000 cavalry, 200
  triremes and 40 000 sailors.
• Greeks lined up and advanced across the plain of
  Marathon towards Persian army.

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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 - 6400 dead (Persians) to only 192
  men (Greeks).

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IMAGES
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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

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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

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WHY THE ATHENIANS AND PLATAEANS WON AT MARATHON?

• No 3 Greeks
• defence of their
• freedom
• Desire for freedom

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WHY THE ATHENIANS AND PLATAEANS WON AT MARATHON?

• No 4 Fear of Spartas
• arrival
• Spartans real influence on the campaign

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THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MARATHON

• For the Persians
• Reality check - Persias 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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Mound of Marathon
Bronze helmet
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THE PROCESS

• Essay
• Structure Introduction, Body, Conclusion
• Day by day adding information to the essay
• Essay count Approx. 2000-2500

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DIFFICULTIES

• Difficulties
• Time Management
• No Internet
• Essaying structure making it right great
• Sources books and Internet
• Wasting time during class

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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

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

• http//boards.historychannel.com/thread.jspa?threa
  dID100009096messageID300418309
• http//raf.heavengames.com/history/civilization/gr
  eek/page4
• http//www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A10083395
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_MarathonCo
  nclusion
• http//www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/marathon.htm
• http//www.thenagain.info/Classes/Sources/Herodotu
  s-Marathon.html
• http//www.essortment.com/all/thebattleofma_rwnl.h
  tm

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

• http//joseph_berrigan.tripod.com/ancientbabylon/i
  d27.html
• http//www.historynet.com/battle-of-marathon-greek
  s-versus-the-persians.htm/2high_4
• http//www.libertarian.co.uk/lapubs/histn/histn021
  .pdf
• http//www.heritage-history.com/www/heritage.php?D
  irerasFileNamegreece_4.php
• http//unitedcats.wordpress.com/2007/07/21/the-bat
  tle-of-marathon/
• http//www.cais-soas.com/CAIS/History/hakhamaneshi
  an/marathon.htm

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

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