Late in the summer of 490 BCE, a Persian invasion force landed on Gracian shores at the Bay of Marathon. At the command of King Darius I, the invaders aimed to punish the Athenians for their role against the Persain king's forces the lonian Revolt a few years earlier. The outnumbered Athenians called on nearby Sparta for help, but their sister city-state delayed sending troops because of an ongoing religious festival.
Faced with a decision whether to fight a defensive holding battle while awaiting help from Sparta, or to attack the invaders right away, the Athenians elected to attack. With the help of some 1,000 warriors from neighboring Plataea, about 10,000 athenians charged a Persian army of at least twice their allies had thrust open the doorway to Greece's Golden age.
Chapter One
The Vengeance of Darius 4
FYI: Darius the Great 9
Chapter Two
The Ionian Revolt 10
FYI: The Persians 17
Chapter Three
Drama at Marathon 18
FYI: Plain of Marathon 23
Chapter Four
Saving Athens 24
FYI: Greek Hoplites 33
Chapter Five
"The Birth Cry of Europe" 34
FYI: The Persian Army 40
Chronology of the Persian Wars 41
History and Technology Timeline42
Chapter Notes 43
Further Reading 44
Works Consulted 45
On the Internet 46
Glossary 47
Index 48
Overview
Late in the summer of 490 BCE, a Persian invasion force landed on Gracian shores at the Bay of Marathon. At the command of King Darius I, the invaders aimed to punish the Athenians for their role against the Persain king's forces the lonian Revolt a few years earlier. The outnumbered Athenians called on nearby Sparta for help, but their sister city-state delayed sending troops because of an ongoing religious festival.
Faced with a decision whether to fight a defensive holding ...