The Battle of Marathon - 490 BC

Marathon - The Athenians repelled the First Persian Invasion in 490 BC at the Battle of Marathon. King Darius I, upset with the Greeks encouraging the Ionian city states on coast of modern day Turkey to revolt against his rule, decided to send a large force (estimated at 20,000 to 60,000 men) to punish the Greeks. These landed on the plains of Marathon and were met by approximately 8,000 Athenians and 1,000 Plataeans. The Greeks superior tactics resulted in the invasion being repulsed and the Persians being pushed back into the sea. After the battle it was recorded the Persians lost 6,400 men while the Greeks lost only 192. Following the battle an Athenian runner named Pheidippides ran from Marathon to Athens where he declared, "We are victorious!" and then died of exhaustion. Following the victory a commemorative column was raised at the battlefield.

 

 

We found little to commemorate the battle at Marathon once we got there. A new column was raise a few years ago to replace the original one but that was about all there was at the battle site.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below we all pose on the battlefield next to the modern column.
 

 

Not far from the battlefield is a museum containing many artifacts from various eras of Greek history. A few of them relate to the time of the Battle of Marathon. One is the remaining piece of the original commemorative column. Here I pose with my two sons next to it.