The Twenty-Six Miles’ March

Athenian hoplites, heavily armed foot soldiers of ancient Greece, marched with dignity and pride resting on their shoulders towards the battle that changed the ancient world – the Battle of Marathon. The opposing side, the Persians, also had all their honor and pride at stake. Both sides marched earnestly towards each other on that hot September day in 490 BC. With faces dripping sweat, the Greeks climbed over rugged mountains and through dense forests. They reeked of anxiety – not even the sweet chirping birds or relaxing flow of the river were enough to calm them. The air rang with encouragements from Callimachus and Miltiades, the brave commanders of the Greek army, motivating them to put everything they had on the line. The soldiers, their jaws clenched and fists tightened, continued to step upon untrodden leaves and past undeveloped land to reach the Marathon Plain. Meanwhile, the weary Persians were already camping out there. After months of gentle swaying on their little boats, they had finally hit land. Heat descended since the light salty sea breeze no longer accompanied them. Still, energy levels were high and adrenaline was still pumping. Datis and Ataphernes, the generals of the Persian side, made sure the soldiers were still on guard even as they rested upon the gentle Marathon plain. However, soon, the meeting of the Greeks and Persians would sever the clear skies, the tall grass, and the peaceful silence. The minute they met, warm blood would spill on the pure green grass, dyeing the plain a deep frightening red. The bloody battle was a clash of frustration and a resolve of past feuds. The outcome was completely unexpected. The outcome of this battle would mark the end of the Archaic Period (750-500 B.C.) and the transition of preserving Western Civilization, into the new Classical Period (500-336 B.C.). The Battle of Marathon acted as an important turning point for time periods and culture. What did it say about the Greek Hellenistic culture in contrast to the Persian culture, and what principles did the winning side demonstrate during the battle? What did the battle prowess of the winning side witness to the world? Most importantly, what legacies did the Battle of Marathon leave?

Greece and Persia had a noisy past, dotted with fights and rebellions. Both strong countries had major cities in that, when captured, could mean the death of either’s glorious rule. The influential capital of Athens, rich in both culture and intellectual development, governed Greece. Meanwhile, Sardis was the jewel city of the entire Persian Empire. Sixty years before the Battle of Marathon, Darius, the king of Persia, recaptured Ephesus and Miletus from Athens, two prosperous and important cities in Ionia, located in present day Turkey. These two cities were significant, located near the bridge from the Middle East to Europe, at the Bosphorous Straits, acting as the string of cities connecting the Persian Empire to the Greek’s. Therefore, the Persians needed to take over these two influential Greek colonies so they could use them to start expanding their strong empire. Also, by capturing these two important chess pieces, the Persians stopped the Greeks from any future territorial expansion to the east. Now under the Persians’ rule, the formerly Greek Ephesus and Miletus were now dominated by Persian culture, and governed and organized by Sardis, the capitol of the Persian Empire. However, even though the seized cities were now considered to be Persian, they could not let go of their Greek past, their Hellenistic culture.

The clash of cultural differences led to many revolts in the new Persian territories. In Ionia, over the course of a few decades, many attempts to overthrow the government occurred, but all to no success. Then in 499 BC, nine years before the battle of Marathon, Aristagoras, the tyrant of Miletus, asked the Greeks to help Ionians revolt against the Persians. Athens, with holdings as far as Eretria, in present day Africa, agreed, in order to save their colonies and take back some of the territories that the Persians had stolen from them. The Greeks sent twenty-five ships with a total of 1,000 men to march over hills to Sardis. Sardis was the great capital of the Persian Empire at that time, and managed most of the cities in newly captured territories, including the two now conquered, Ephesus and Miletus. Crossing rivers and the Aegean Sea, the Greek soldiers arrived at the great capital of the Persian empire – Sardis. The army burned down the beautiful city and a temple of their local goddess Cybele, while killing and enslaving many citizens. The once rich capital of Sardis was now in shambles, lying dead on the ground. The resulting anger and hostility led to years of constant rivalry between the two countries and bitter hatred burned in Persian hearts for the Athenians’ assault upon their mighty capital.  King Darius was furious when he was later informed that his dear capital was stripped to ruins and swore to retaliate against Athens. He grasped the once-buried hatchet again. Though the Persians suffered a great defeat about nine years before the Battle of Marathon, their violent culture did not fade or diminish. In fact, the Athenian’s invasion kindled the Persian’s fighting spirit, giving them the will to gather, train and fight back with even greater forces. The Persian Empire’s culture was built upon this fighting fire. Its violent morals were different from the Greeks’ interests in science, politics, trade, and cultural influence. The Persians were more concentrated on war, rather than the arts. Athens, the capital of Greece, was focused on advancing the natural sciences, visual arts, architecture, and technology. This dynamic difference of cultures was demonstrated during the Battle of Marathon, as Athens strategized brilliantly, while Persia depended on its massive army forces. At the end of this battle, only one culture would continue to thrive and advance, while the other one would decline dramatically.

King Darius dreamt his sweet revenge. However, he knew that the first step towards retribution was to simmer down the still-present revolts in the compromised lands in Ionia that were quickly spreading throughout the Empire like wildfire. In order to quickly cool down the flames of revolt, the Persians slowly flooded the Ionian region with their army. The Persian fleet and Ionian, allies of Greece, finally clashed at sea in 494 BC, four years before the Battle of Marathon. In the end, Miletus, (the city that the Athenians had previously burned down Sardis to protect), was defeated and destroyed. Once again, people of Milutus, or what remained of it, became a colony of Persia. Soon, the revolts died down and the Persians continued to capture the rest of Ionia. However, they did not stop there. They hungrily wished to capture Greece like a pack of wolves, spying on their prey from the far distance.

In 492 B.C., two years before the Battle of Marathon, it was finally the Persians’ time to shine. They decided that it was time to feast upon the Greeks. An enormous Persian army of twenty thousand men led by General Mardonios marched from the northeast. They advanced into Greek territories, dangerously closing in on Athens, invading Thrace (the section of land west of the Bosphorous Strait), then Macedonia (north of present-day Greece), and capturing both. Fortunately for the Greeks, Mardonios had great casualties in battle, and his fleet was sunk by a storm off Mount Athos. The Athenians thought that the gods had given them their blessings with such a chanceful mishap. Then King Darius decided to capture Greece in a peaceful way; he sent heralds, or ambassadors, one year before the Battle of Marathon to each city-state in Greece requesting earth and water, the tribute which meant releasing everything, from the land to the sea. Earth and water was a traditional symbol for submission of everything. Athens, knowing the cruel Persian ways, saw through this diplomatic ploy. As Darius probably expected, many of the heralds were abused or killed. Darius now knew of no other way to capture Greece besides war – a more familiar pastime. However, Persians did not realize then that their once great and mighty conquering culture was now rusty and dusty.

It turned out that Darius had been planning to start a war all along. He sent the heralds as mere animal sacrifices and stalling objects. While the heralds were being executed, the Persians constructed many triemes, a type of ship that the Greeks used, along with horse transports. The triemes had three rows of oars on each side and were fast and agile because of the sharp angular cut at the bow. In 490 B.C.E. in the beginning of the year of the battle, in order to catch Athens and Eretria off guard, he sent a fleet of only 600 ships, carrying 30 to 40 warriors each. Because of the small size of the boats, the Persians had to stop by many islands on the way to replenish their supplies. When the Persians landed at a Greek city-state named Naxos, they burned it to the ground and enslaved the people in the same way the Athenians had torn apart Sardis eight years before. The troops continued to march toward Athens, destroying bigger cities like Delos, Karystos, and Eretia, leaving a trail of devastation behind. The Persian army became a destroying machine, taking grand cities and beautiful scenery in, and spitting out crushed rubble and bloody battlefields. As they closed in upon Athens, the Persians wanted to sneak up from behind, so they landed somewhere other than Attica. Attica was a district that bordered the sea in the south and east. It was thought that the Persians would land there due to its calm waters and accessible beaches. However, the Persians did the unexpected – they stopped on the Marathon Plain instead, a bit south of Attica.

Meanwhile during all the destruction of their neighboring cities and towns, the Athenians were terrified. They had heard long and tragic stories about the Persians storming towards them and were desperately clueless on what to do. Finally, in early September of 490 BC, Athenian scouts spotted the Persian army landing on the grassy Marathon plain. The beacon fires on Mount Pentelikon were lit and the news spread quickly to Athens. The citizens in Athens quickly voted on what to do about the threatening situation. General Miltiades convinced everyone to defend Athens, to show their virtue and bravery, arguing that the Athenian hoplites were more trained and had a better formation and equipment. He exhorted the Athenians to defend themselves and their city. The Athenian citizens were strongly moved and convinced by the General and moved to fight their mighty rivals. For both sides, victory meant everything: the past, the present, and the future. Victory would change history and both sides were determined to win at all costs. The Persians betted on their taste for revenge, while the Greeks, protecting their culture and family, prepared to fight one of the most significant battles in history. After the dust cleared and the clouds drifted, the sun would shine on a new world.

War trumpet calls rang through the air, echoing through the grassy plain. The two armies, staring each other down, approached with both confidence and attitude. The Persian army, like hungry wolves waiting to launch on their victims, swiftly advanced. The Greeks, like ferocious bears, charged with all their might. However, the Greeks faced two major problems. One was how greatly outnumbered they were to the Persians, and the other was that before the two armies could even meet, the Persian archers could shoot arrows down upon the Greeks. The Greeks’ military formation was formed in a phalanx, a body of infantry with long spears drawn up in close order with shields overlapping, usually eight ranks deep. Indeed, due to the large outnumbering and outflanking, the Persians could wrap around the Greeks’ formation and attack from behind. When a phalanx is attacked from any other direction than in the front, it is vulnerable and extremely vulnerable to casualties. Also, the initial arrows that would pour down from the Persians would result in great loss of life for the opposite side. The Greeks, too, had no archers. Miltiades came up with a solution to the arrows problem – the hoplites would run through the rain of arrows so that casualties were few. On this hot summer day they would have to form again into the tight phalanx once they reached the enemy. Miltiades knew that the soldiers were robust and trained, and that exhaustion would not be a key factor. The problem of the outnumbered army was more difficult. Miltiades eventually commanded the army to be thinned in the middle, down to four ranks. With Miltiades’ plan in mind, the soldiers took a deep breath and began the battle of their lifetimes, anxious to achieve the outcome. With their life on the line, the coin was tossed into the fountain of hope. Whichever side it landed on would demonstrate the victor’s strategic abilities, creating lasting legacies.

The weight on both sides’ shoulders was heavy. The Persians were desperate for the sweet taste of revenge while the Greeks were bent on maintaining their victorious streak and protecting their homes. The Greeks, dragging their motivations with them, arrived within the range of arrows. Just like planned, they swiftly charged forward, losing a few men. The two armies then clashed and exploded with heat, terror, passion, and fury on the smooth flat lands. Spears and swords soared through the air, and the sound of clashing shields was deafening. The soldiers shouted with anger and the commanders screamed with encouragement.

The two armies collided for a long time on the grassy plain. Scattered weapons and lifeless bodies lay on the ground, stiff and cold. However, that didn’t cool down the excitement bursting on the battlefield.  Finally, like the soft fall winds pushing upon the grass, the Greek left and right flank slowly started to force back the Persian right and left flank, while the Greek center phalanx was being pushed back. The Persian army on the side began to retreat, admitting defeat, and fled to their ships. They were of no match to the strong and healthy Greeks that had everything at stake. As tables began to turn, the battle was at its turning point. As if planned magically, the victorious Greek left and right fleet now turned back and assisted their losing comrades. The Greeks attacked the vulnerable center wing from behind and quickly pulverized the army. The Persians were vanquished. Running back to the beach where their ships were anchored, a bloody slaughter took place. Soldiers were dying in chaos, and blood stained the beach red. The ocean was almost blood-warm. The Persians, demolished and thrashed, lost their order and control. The Greeks still bravely urged on, but lost some great commanders like Kallimachos and Kynegeiros. Kynegeiros, brother of the great playwright Aeschylus, bled to death when one of his hands was cut off. But at last, the long battle was over, leaving the Greeks victorious.

Though the Persians were defeated, the ones who lived and escaped did not give up hope. They wouldn’t back down until the very last minute – this was the Persian culture. The fleets that were still battle ready made a turn to the southwest, heading directly towards Athens, for Athens, at the moment, was vulnerable. The Persians, with the image of Sardis burning to the ground still in their hearts, headed towards Greece’s prize city. The Greek generals, fully aware of the situation, had no choice but to order the exhausted hoplites to march back home. With their weary legs shaking and heavy arms trembling, they began the twenty-six mile march back to Athens. Keeping in mind that they still needed to protect their valuable capital and culture, the Greek soldiers quickened their pace. After stopping in Kynosarges, a sanctuary of Herakles, they managed to land in Athens with lightning speed the night before the Persians arrived. When the Persians saw the powerful Greek army in broad daylight fully rested, they unraveled with terror, and decided that it was time to depart. Once again, the Greeks had beaten them. The battle was completely over, leaving the Persian’s will to fight burned out and lying among the ashes. Sixty years prior, the Greeks had broken their capital, and now they had shattered their once invincible and mighty Persian culture.

The Greeks, strategically manipulating the situation to their favor, were left with most of their men, and all of their culture. In the aftermath of the battle, one of the ten Greek tribes, or military divisions, remained behind to bury the dead, assist the wounded, and guard the Persian loot. They counted about 6,400 dead Persian soldiers and only 192 Greek casualties. These were cremated and the dust was put in a soros, a special mount, near the battlefield. It is about fifty meters high and nine meters wide. Now it almost appears to be a small hill, with light green grass and natural flowerings decorating the outside. This innocent scene conceals the bloody history of the Battle of Marathon.

After the battle, many animal sacrifices, especially goats, were made to celebrate the victory. Famous singers wrote and performed many songs about the glorious victory. Through all the written works inspired by the Battle of Marathon, Greece’s artistic customs are greatly emphasized. Poets not only inscribed the action of the battle into their poetry, but also Greece’s intellectual culture. The citizens then constructed a shrine to Pan, a temple to Glory, and many other statues and carvings. Also, a monument was placed at the turning point of the battle – when the Greeks’ outer flanks defeated their Persian attackers. The magistrates personally presented the Marathon hoplites with heroic honors. Their legacies were to be remembered for years and years to come.