The First Clash: Battle of Marathon (490 BC) | Greece vs. Persia Begins

The year is 490 BC. The place is the plain of Marathon. We are on the verge of a battle that will decide the fate of ancient Greece. On one side, the Athenian army of 10,000 men, ready to fight for their freedom, awaits the huge Persian army advancing on them. The Persians are advancing with archers, cavalry and Darius's great desire for revenge. This plain will be the scene not just of a battle, but of one of the greatest resistances in human history. In a moment, you will watch this unforgettable battle between the Athenians and the Persians. Before we begin, we ask you to support us by subscribing to the channel and liking the video. If you are ready, historic battles begin. The rise of the Persian Empire began with the fall of the Median Empire in 550 BC. With this victory, the Persians conquered Mesopotamia and eastern Anatolia. Then, in 547 BC, they defeated the kingdom of Lydia and subjugated the Greek city-states in western Anatolia. In 538 BC, they conquered Babylon, taking full control of Mesopotamia and advancing as far as Egypt. In just 25 years, they became a superpower that stretched from the Aegean Sea to India, from the Black Sea to the Indian Ocean. But the only major obstacle standing in the way of this vast empire was mainland Greece. The Persians, who had the greatest land forces of their time, could not achieve the same success at sea. Darius I, who ascended to the throne in 522 BC, made efforts to strengthen his navy in order to take control of the seas. Controlling the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean was a critical goal for Persia. For the Greeks, however, it was an existential threat. In his desire to expand the boundaries of the Persian Empire, Darius led his forces into Thrace, Macedonia, Ionia, and the Aegean Islands. This determined advance was a grand strategy designed to subjugate the Greek world. The Persian domination of western Anatolia in the late 6th century BC severely limited the maritime trade of the Ionian city-states. The heavy taxes paid to the Persian palace and the tyrants appointed for administration caused great discontent among the local population and led to increased unrest, which pushed the Ionian people to revolt. As a result of the uprising led by Aristagoras, the leader of Miletus, he declared democracy in Miletus and encouraged other Ionian cities to join this movement. Eventually, the Persian rule in the region was overthrown, and democratic regimes were established throughout Ionia in a short time with the uprising of the people. Aristagoras needed strong allies for the uprising to succeed against the Persian Empire. For this reason, he started looking for allies. Aristagoras first decided to go to Sparta, known for its skill in warfare. Here he met with King Cleomenistus of Sparta. Aristagoras appeared before the king of Sparta and started his speech with words of praise. Great king, you are the best warriors in the whole world. With your courage and military strength, it will not be difficult to defeat the Persian army. While Cleomenes listened in silence, Aristagoras continued to explain the weaknesses of the Persian army. Persian soldiers fight with bows, arrows, and short spears. They wear pants on their feet and turbans on their heads. They are no match for you in battle. Besides, this war will bring you not only victory but also great spoils. Gold, silver, brass, fine fabrics, and beasts of burden. All this can be yours. But Aristagoras made a serious mistake in his persuasive efforts. He pulled out a bronze map of the world that he had brought with him and started pointing the way to Persian territory and making explanations. Look, this is Cilicia. Every year they pay 500 talents in tribute to the Persian king. And here the Armenians are famous for their herds. They have hundreds of cattle and sheep. And here is Susa. The palace of the great king is located here. All this wealth could be yours with the right strategy. King Cleomenes listened thoughtfully and at the end of the meeting asked for three days to make up his mind. Three days later, when Aristagoras was summoned again, Cleomenes asked, How many days will it take to reach the Persian capital? Aristagoras replied, Three months. Upon this answer, the king immediately rejected this offer. The distance and difficulties of the vast Persian territory were a deterrent for the Spartans to enter this war. The king said, It is against the custom of the Spartans to go to war on such a long journey. I have listened to you, but I cannot accept your offer. Now leave Sparta before nightfall. Despite all his persistence, Aristagoras could not convince the king. This negative response he received from Sparta had seriously hampered his plans. This time he turned to Athens for help. Aristagoras made a speech in Athens just as he had done in Sparta, emphasizing the weakness of the Persians and appealing to the benefits of war. According to Herodotus, Aristagoras' ability to influence crowds was more successful than his efforts to persuade individual leaders. However, the Athenians decided to support the Ionian revolt. This decision was linked as much to a desire to preserve Athenian ideals of democracy as it was to a concern about the growing power of the Persian empire. Eretria, along with Athens, agreed to support the uprising due to commercial concerns and ties with Miletus. However, this support from Athens and Eretria would not only lead to the strengthening of the Ionian revolt, but also to the beginning of the Greco-Persian wars. In the spring of 498 BC, a fleet of 25 ships from Athens and Eretria crossed the Aegean Sea in support of the Ionian revolt. The Ionian force was reinforced by these troops in Ephesus and then they advanced together towards Sardis. Sard, the capital of the Persian satrapy, was the first target of the Greek forces. When they reached the lower city of Sard, they quickly captured it, thanks to the unpreparedness of the Persian defences. However, a small fire that broke out in a house quickly grew and engulfed the entire city. This fire also burned the temple of Sibel to ashes and the situation in Sard spiralled out of control. Due to the fire and the Persian troops resisting in the fortress, the Greek forces lost their formation and were forced to retreat, unable to advance any further. As the Greek forces retreated from Sard and marched towards Ephesus, the Persian army quickly regrouped and pursued them. Encountering the Persians near Ephesus, the Greeks were forced to take up battle formation. However, the exhausted and demoralized Greek forces had a hard time against the superior attacks of the Persian cavalry. The Persian cavalry kept the Greek lines under constant pressure with arrows and spears. These intense attacks inflicted heavy casualties on the Greek forces. When it became clear that the war was lost, the Athenians and Eretrians boarded their ships with their remaining forces and began to return to Greece. This retreat meant a major setback for the Greeks in the Ionian Revolt. With the withdrawal of Athens and Eretria, the Ionians were left alone against the Persian Empire. Nevertheless, the Ionian Revolt was still going on in many areas. The Ionians gained the upper hand against the Persians in the Dardanelles and Caria. But these victories did not last long. The Persian armies quickly regrouped and began to reassert their control over Ionia. They focused on eliminating resistance completely, one by one, by overthrowing Ionian cities. The Greek ruins around Sard and Ephesus were soon cleared. But it was not enough for the Persians to crush the Ionian Revolt. Athens and Eretria's support for the revolt was an unforgivable challenge in the eyes of Darius I. By 490 BC, the Persian emperor Darius the Great was determined to punish the Greek city-states, the greatest obstacle to his westward expansion. The Athenians in particular had drawn the ire of Darius with their support for the anti-Persian resistance during the Ionian Revolt. The burning and sacking of Sard was perceived as an insult to the Persian Empire. And Darius, vowing revenge, ordered the destruction of Athens. For him, this was not only a military objective, but also a matter of honor. Darius sent a large fleet of 600 ships to the Sea of Islands, led by his commanders Datis and Artafernes. This fleet set out to subdue the Greek city-states and destroy Athens and Eretria. The Persian navy first captured cities such as Naxos and Delos in the Aegean Sea. Eretria was able to resist this fierce Persian attack for only six days. Eventually, Eretria was razed to the ground by the Persians. Its temples were burned and its people enslaved. After the destruction of Eretria, it was Athens' turn. The Persian fleet anchored on the plain of Marathon, northeast of Athens. This area provided an excellent maneuvering ground for the Persian cavalry. Marathon was also the hometown of the Athenian exiled tyrant Hippias. Hoping to recapture Athens with Persian support, Hippias had conveyed the strategic importance of the region to his commanders. So the Persians encamped on the plain of Marathon. When the news of the Persian landing at Marathon reached Athens, the city was in a state of panic. The massacres committed by the Persians in Eretria were being told among the people and this caused great fear among everyone. The boule, the Great Assembly of Athens, also known as the Assembly of 500, was called to an emergency meeting. The first option was to put the city on the defensive. But the walls of Athens were not strong enough to withstand the might of the Persian army. Moreover, leaving the vast region of Attica undefended meant leaving the fate of the rural population to the enemy. The Persians could have burned Athens to the ground and enslaved the population, as they had done in Eretria. The second option was to meet the Persians in the open field at Marathon. This option was extremely risky. The Athenians were outnumbered by the size and tactical superiority of the Persian army. Choosing this course meant gambling with the future of the people and the city. The third option was to surrender. The Persians granted the right to life to those who submitted to them. But this would have meant that Athens would lose its independence and become a Persian vassal under tyranny. With this decision, their fledgling democracy could be ended forever, their freedom destroyed. For the Athenians, this option was unacceptable. The members of the Assembly debated for hours. Each of them realized that the fate of the people depended on their decision. In this moment of decision, a name that would change the fate of the war came to the fore. Miltiades. The experienced commander, well acquainted with the war tactics the Persians had used in Ionia, began to speak in a fluent and persuasive style. The Persians may be outnumbered, Miltiades said, but victory is not always won by numbers, but by courage and the right strategy. What we face now is not just an army, but a threat to the freedom of our people, our democracy, and our future generations. If we wait for this battle within the walls of our city, we are doomed to defeat. But if we meet them on the plain of Marathon and execute the right plan, we can turn the Persians' weaknesses to our advantage. In the end, the councillors accepted Miltiades' proposal and unanimously decided to confront the Persian army on the plain of Marathon. The Athenians knew how difficult it would be to stand alone against the huge Persian army. So they enlisted one of the fastest messenger runners, Pheidippides, to call for help. This class of messengers was known in ancient Greece as Hemerodromos, to travel long distances quickly and deliver important messages. These people were known for their endurance and speed. Pheidippides also stood out for these qualities His journey was full of rough terrain, mountainous roads, and harsh weather conditions. When he arrived in Sparta, he told the Spartans about the Athenian emergency. But the Spartans said they could not act because of their religious traditions. The festival of Carnea was being celebrated at that time, and the Spartans had to wait until the moon was full. It was not possible for them to go to war before the moon was full. When this news reached Athens on Pheidippides' return journey, it caused a brief disappointment in the city. Spartan help would be delayed. With their bronze armor, long spears, and broad shields, the hoplites were ready to advance in phalanx formation, one of the best defensive systems of the time. Combined with a thousand reinforcements from the small city-state of Plataea, the Greek army marched towards the Marathon plain with a total force of 11,000 men. The plain of Marathon was surrounded by natural borders, with mountainous areas to the west and the Aegean Sea to the east. The plain was wide and flat, providing an ideal battlefield for cavalry and archers. The Persians had chosen this plain as a strategic advantage where they could easily maneuver their cavalry units. The Greeks, on the other hand, planned to use the natural defensive advantage offered by the mountainous areas. The Persian army was stationed on the plain of Marathon, close to the coast. The Persian ships anchored along the coast both supplied the army and provided a safe point for a quick retreat if necessary. The Persians had organized a broad front to demonstrate their numerical superiority and to psychologically pressure the Greek army. The front line was lined with shield-bearing troops known as sparabara. These troops were intended to stop the enemy's advance and buy time for the archers in the rear. Forming a wall with their long rectangular shields, the sparabara soldiers formed the first and most critical layer of the defensive line. Behind the sparabara troops were the effective archers of the Persian army. The sparabara protected these archers from enemy melee attacks while allowing the troops behind them to fire freely. At the back of the formation were the armored infantry and cavalry, the main force of the Persian army. Cavalry, with its speed and maneuverability, was used to encircle the enemy or infiltrate the rear lines. The sparabara troops were able to withstand the first wave of the enemy with their shield walls but were vulnerable to the hand-to-hand combat prowess and heavy weapons of the heavily armored Greek hoplites. Therefore, the Persian commander's plan was to weaken the enemy with arrow fire before the sparabara line broke. Despite the numerical and tactical superiority of the Persian army, the Athenians developed a strategy that could turn the disadvantages of fighting on the open plain to their advantage. The Greek army, led by Miltiades, carefully positioned itself using the protection afforded by the mountainous terrain. The most experienced and brave warriors were placed on the right flank of the Greek army. The right flank formed a critical line of defense against the enemy's central thrust. The left wing of the army was formed by the Plataean allies. The task of the left flank was to hold off the Persian right flank as long as possible and maintain a coherent defense with the center. The Athenians deliberately left the center line weak. According to Herodotus' account, the soldiers in the center were four rows deep while the right and left flanks were eight rows deep. This was a tactic that would draw the enemy to the center, allowing the flanks to carry out the siege maneuver. The hoplites, equipped with bronze helmets, breastplates and shields, formed the main force of the Greek army. Their long spears and heavy armor gave them a great advantage over the lightly armored soldiers of the Persian army. The hoplites' tightly organized phalanx formation was a powerful defensive formation in which soldiers lined up side by side, shields together and spears extended forward. This formation provided an effective line of defense against both enemy archers and cavalry and made the Greek army stronger by not being easily disrupted thanks to unity and solidarity. Silence reigned on the Marathon plain. Both sides were watching each other, waiting for the right moment before making strategic moves. The Persian army relied on its numerical superiority and wanted the Greeks to make the first move. This created a tension that tested the nerves of both sides. Miltiades focused on the psychological aspect of the battle. He ordered his troops to remain patient, avoid unnecessary actions and maintain discipline. The Greek army maintained a fixed posture in phalanx formation, avoiding a random attack on the Persians. Instead, they were waiting for the Persians to make a strategic mistake. The Persians, on the other hand, were looking for ways to breach the Greek line before bringing forward their archers and cavalry, waiting for the right moment to use them most effectively. However, the quiet and disciplined stance of the Athenians had started a disturbance in the Persian line. The Greek army's inaction was costing the Persians time and making the course of the war uncertain. After a long wait, the Persian commanders Datis and Ataphernes decided on a new strategy. The discipline and patience of the Greek army had changed the Persian plans. In order to turn the tide of the war in their favor, they decided to put part of the army on ships and head for Athens. This strategy made the Persians' ultimate goal clear. To catch Athens off guard and occupy it, while holding off the Greeks at Marathon. Cavalry troops and elite archers were quickly deployed on ships anchored off the coast. When Miltiades and the Greek commanders saw the ships leaving the coast and the Persian army dwindling, they realized that they were facing a great danger. If part of the Persian army reached Athens, the city would be left defenseless, its people would be enslaved, and the city would be sacked. In response to this danger, the Greek commanders met on the plain of Marathon to discuss the future of the war. There was no consensus among the commanders. Some suggested retreating to the defense and waiting for the Spartans to arrive. Others argued for returning to Athens, leaving behind the thousands of enemies who had come against them. But in this moment of hesitation, General Miltiades stepped forward. The Persian move is aimed at leaving Athens defenseless. This is a sign that we must act rather than wait. If we do not confront them on the plain of Marathon, our cities will be set on fire and our people enslaved. The Spartans' help will be delayed. Therefore, we are the only ones who will defend our city and our people. He made it clear that war was inevitable and that swift action was needed. Miltiades convinced them that the best plan was to advance and fight in the open, even though the Spartans had not yet arrived. The discussions ended and a consensus was reached. The Athenian army would make the first attack. The Athenian army moved in the early morning when the Persians were not yet fully prepared. The commanders organized the troops and explained Miltiades' plan. Their plan was to overwhelm the strong Persian center line with a weak Greek front and then gain the upper hand by flanking on the flanks. The Greek army began to advance in an orderly fashion. The distance between them was about one and a half kilometers. The Greek forces advanced slowly and steadily until they were within the enemy's arrow range. The Persian archers were waiting for the Athenians, who were about to come within range, and they stretched their bows and prepared for an intense barrage of arrows. The distance narrowed and the Greeks broke into a sprint when they reached about 200 meters. The Persians were stunned by this unexpected move. They had not expected the Greek army to come at them so suddenly. The archers drew their bows and started shooting. However, the Athenians both ran and raised their shields to protect themselves as much as possible from the deadly rain of arrows. According to Herodotus, they were the first of the Greeks to attack the enemy on the run and to face an army as well-equipped as the Medes. The Persian line was caught unprepared for this unexpectedly swift attack by the Athenians. They tried to defend against the Greeks with Sparabara units on their front lines. The Sparabara tried to stop the advance of the Greek lines with their wall, but the phalanx formation of the Greek hoplites, with their heavy armor and long spears, put great pressure on this defensive line. After a while, breaks in the Greek center line caused the Persian army to see this point as a weak target. The Persians thought that by quickly pushing the center line, they could completely collapse this area. However, as the Persian army pushed the Greek center, the Greek flanks began to advance, putting the enemy in a flanking position. The Persian troops had been squeezed by the siege maneuver of the Greek flanks and were unable to put up any organized resistance. Realizing that the battle was lost due to the intensity of the fighting and the panicked dispersal of the troops, Dattis and Artefernis gave the order to retreat to the coast and board ships to save the rest of the army. During this retreat, however, Persian soldiers suffered heavy casualties, both from attacks by Greek troops and from the chaos that ensued. Although those who made it to the coast managed to board the ships, the disorganized retreat turned into a complete rout for the Persian army. The Persian soldiers who boarded the ships quickly tried to head for the open sea to escape the intense pressure from the Athenians. Meanwhile, the Greeks captured seven Persian ships that could not return. Miltiades ordered the army to return to the capital immediately in case the Persian fleet did not retreat but launched an attack on Athens. News reports indicated that Persian ships were moving towards Athens. However, the Persian fleet soon withdrew and sailed away from the area. Meanwhile, a messenger was again sent to deliver the news of victory to the capital and to call on the people to be prepared. Pheidippides began the historic run from Marathon to Athens. He was exhausted after the battle and days of exhausting efforts. His body, already beyond the limits of exhaustion, was like a machine focused on taking just one more step. His muscles grew heavy, his breathing erratic and each step more difficult. But when he reached Athens, despite his exhaustion, he managed to shout Nikomen, meaning we won. It was his last run, his body couldn't take much more and he collapsed and died. This event inspired the long-distance running known today as Marathon running. Today, the race continues to be held at regular intervals to commemorate Pheidippides' 40-kilometer run from Marathon to Athens. The Battle of Marathon shattered the Persian Empire's perception of invincibility and demonstrated the discipline and strategic strength of the Greek army. If the Persians had been able to invade Athens in that battle, the development of Western civilization would have taken a completely different turn. In this respect, this war constitutes one of the turning points of history. For the Greek world, the Persian threat seemed to be over. But it was only the beginning. For the Persian Empire, this defeat was a great loss of prestige. Emperor Darius prepared a massive campaign to avenge this defeat. However, before he could realize this plan, he died in 486 BC. He was succeeded by his son Serhas I. Serhas I ascended the throne determined to fulfill his father's dream and subjugate the Greek world. He mobilized all the resources of the Persian Empire and prepared an unprecedented army and navy. Soldiers, ships, and ammunition were recruited from every region of the empire. The goal was to completely conquer the Greek city-states and extend Persian rule beyond the Aegean Sea. In the narrow passages of Thermopylae, the Greeks would face a greater threat this time.