Battle of Marathon
Image taken from heritage-history.com
This has become one of the most famous battles of the Greco-Persian wars. It was the first attempt by Persian King Darius to conquer Greece and subjugate them to his rule. The aim was to punish cities such as Eritrea and Athens for supporting a revolt in the Ionian cities of Greece. This period of history is shrouded in mystery. The only source historical scholars have to go by is the famous Greek Historian Herodotus in his book Histories. The Persian army was sent to pacify the area of Thrace and conquer Macedon. This move was strategically important for the Persians because it gave them a direct route from their empire into Greek territory.
The year prior to this invasion, Persia had obtained the permission by many Greek states to invade the land and take control. The cities of Sparta and Athens were left alone. The city of Eritrea was surged and taken over. The Persians next landed near Marathon. Their aim was to subjugate the city of Athens. The Athenians chose to not go so peacefully. They met the Persians on a plain near the town of Marathon. For many days, a stalemate ensued. The Persians were not able to break the infamous phalanx formation of Greek soldiers. This battle proved that the Persians were not invincible and could be defeated. This battle gave way to the celebration of a famous run done in Greece from Marathon to Athens. According to legend, a messenger ran to the city of Athens to inform the people of the victory and collapsed dead after running many miles.
