Text: Yuanshengji
Editor: Yuanshengji
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In the late 6th and early 5th centuries BC, the Persian Empire gradually rose to become one of the largest empires in the world at the time. The rise of the Persian Empire dates back to 550 BC, when Cyrus I, the founder of the Persian Empire, overthrew the Babylonian Empire in Mesopotamia and established the Achaemenid dynasty of Persia.
With the reign of Cyrus I, the Persian Empire began a large-scale conquest and expansion. In 546 BC, the Persian Empire brought the western regions of Asia Minor under its rule.
In 539 BC, the Persian Empire conquered Babylon and incorporated all of Mesopotamia.
After Cyrus I, the power of the Persian Empire expanded further. In 525 BC, the Persian Empire conquered Egypt, bringing it under its rule. The Persian Empire then continued its eastward expansion, conquering the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent and bringing it under its rule.
In the process of conquering and expanding, the Persian Empire adopted a series of ingenious ruling strategies. They allowed the inhabitants of the conquered areas to retain their religious and cultural practices in order to maintain the stability of their rule. In addition, the Persian Empire established a vast administrative system and postal network that facilitated trade and exchange.
In 490 BC, the Persian king Darius I was ambitious and decided to conquer the Greek city-states and expand his sphere of influence. He sent troops to invade Greece in an attempt to bring it under his rule. The Persian army occupied some city-states, but also met with stubborn resistance from the Greek city-states.
The Persian invasion of the Greek city-states
In 490 BC, the Persian king Darius I again sent an army to invade Greece. The main target of this invasion was Athens, a strategically important city. Realizing the great danger it faced, Athens decided to seek assistance from the Greek city-states.
Athens sent emissaries to Sparta to ask for their support. However, since Sparta was performing religious ceremonies, they could not immediately send troops. Unwilling to give up, Athens decided to go it alone and seek the help of other city-states.
The envoys of Athens came to Messina, a city-state in the southeast. They asked Messina to send reinforcements to jointly defend against the Persian invasion. Messina acceded to this request and sent their army into battle.
The Persian army continued its march south, eventually reaching the plain of Marathon, a coastal plain between Athens and the plain of Eles. The terrain of the Marathon Plain was important for the battle, as it suited the Greek army to carry out their tactics.
The Athenian general Mirtiades led the Greek army. They adopted a series of ingenious strategic deployments in the Marathon Plains. First, they took advantage of the plain terrain to block the advance of the Persian army. Second, they developed a long-line formation to counter the size advantage of the Persian army.
In September 490 BC, the Battle of Marathon broke out. The Greek army adopted the tactic of charging and quickly broke through the Persian army's defenses and used their flexibility and equipment superiority to cause confusion in the Persian army. The morale of the Greek soldiers was high, and they fought bravely to defeat the Persian army.
Prelude to the Battle of Marathon
The Battle of Marathon in 490 BC was an important battle of the Greek city-states against the Persian invasion. However, this battle was preceded by a series of events and dynamics that formed the prelude to the Marathon Campaign.
In 492 BC, the Persian Empire first sent an army to attack Greece in an attempt to bring it under its rule. The main target of this invasion was Athens, a strategically important city. Persian forces captured some Greek city-states such as Eloubas and Julis.
However, the Greek city-states did not stand still, and they showed a tenacious spirit of resistance. The inhabitants of Eloubas and Ulis resolutely rebelled against the Persian army, while Athens opted for a strategic retreat, evacuating their population to the neighboring island of Salamis.
With the resolute resistance of the Greek city-states, the Persian army encountered certain difficulties in conquering Greece. This caused the Persian king Darius I to reconsider his invasion plans and temporarily withdraw his troops. The Greek city-states saw hope in this and began to rebuild and strengthen their defenses.
In 490 BC, the Persian king Darius I attacked Greece again. This time, he decided to set his main target on Athens in an attempt to conquer the important city once and for all. The Persian army regrouped and prepared for a massive invasion.
Faced with the Persian threat, Athens realized that it could not cope alone and decided to seek the support of other Greek city-states. They sent emissaries to Sparta to ask for their assistance. However, Sparta was holding religious ceremonies at the time and could not immediately send troops.
Unwilling to give up, Athens decided to go it alone. They sent emissaries to Messina, a city-state in the southeast, to ask for their assistance. Messina acceded to Athens' request and sent his own army to support Athens against the Persian invasion.
Marathon Battle Status
The Battle of Marathon took place in 490 BC and, according to the ancient historian Herodotus, took place in the third year of the reign of the Persian king Darius I.
The battlefield of the Battle of Marathon was located in the Marathon Plain, a coastal plain between Athens and the Ellies Plain. The plain of Marathon is located in present-day Greece, about 40 kilometers from Athens, on the coast of the Aegean Sea.
The Marathon Plain is open and suitable for large-scale military operations. Its geographical location also played an important role in strategic deployment, and the Greek army was able to use the advantages of the plain terrain to carry out their tactics, while also being able to quickly adjust its formation and maneuver operations.
The Greek army was carefully deployed before the war, taking advantage of the openness of the plain to block the advance of the Persian army. The Persian army, on the other hand, may face space constraints and lack of mobility in battle.
In addition, there is a small town called Marathon near the plains of Marathon, which also became the source of the name of the campaign. The town of Marathon is located in the northern part of the plain and played a certain auxiliary and supporting role in the conduct of the campaign. This place became an important target for both sides of the battle.
Strategic deployment of Greece
In September 490 BC, before the Battle of Marathon, the Greek army was well prepared before the battle.
Faced with the threat of a Persian invasion, the Greek city-states realized that it was not feasible to resist Persia alone. They began to seek alliances and sent emissaries to other city-states to request support.
Athens sent emissaries to Sparta, but because Sparta was performing religious ceremonies, it was not possible to send troops immediately. Therefore, Athens decided to go it alone and seek the assistance of other city-states.
Emissaries from Athens came to Messina, a city-state in the southeast, to ask for their assistance. Messina acceded to Athens' request and joined the battle by sending his own army. This support provided the Greek army with more manpower and resources, enhancing their combat effectiveness.
Greek armies fought in the Marathon Plain, a coastal plain suitable for fighting. The open terrain of the plain allowed the Greek army to take full advantage of their tactical superiority and had enough space to deploy formations. This option provided favorable combat conditions for the Greek army.
The Greek army was led by the Athenian general Mirtiades, who adopted a series of ingenious formations on the plain of Marathon. First, they formed long formations to counter the size superiority of the Persian army.
Second, they set up important fortifications in front of the formation, such as trenches and palisades, to enhance the stability of the defensive line.
In the Battle of Marathon, the Greek army adopted charging tactics and broke through the Persian army's defenses with a swift offensive. According to historians, the Greek army made a very bold decision to launch a charge at the beginning of the battle in order to quickly defeat the center of the Persian army.
The Greek army also made full use of their cavalry units. The Marathons in the Athenian army were excellent cavalrymen who played an important role in battle.
According to historical records, the Marathon cavalry launched a powerful charge in the battle, disintegrating the formation of the Persian army and giving the Greek army valuable time and opportunity.
In the Battle of Marathon, the strategic deployment of the Persian army also had its own peculiarities. The Persian king Darius I sent the general Dartus to command the Persian army, and he adopted a strategy of segmented attacks, trying to disperse the Greek army in a multi-front operation.
Finally, in the Battle of Marathon, the Greek army ended the battle with a surprising victory. Although the Persian army was numerically superior, the tactical superiority and tenacious resistance of the Greek army allowed them to successfully defeat the Persian army and win the battle.
The course of the battle of the Marathon Campaign
In September 490 BC, the Battle of Marathon broke out.
In the Battle of Marathon, fierce battles ensued between the two sides. The Greek army resisted, engaging the Persian army in hand-to-hand combat with weapons such as spears, shields, and swords. The flesh and blood of the soldiers on both sides fought fiercely, the swords were intertwined, and the battlefield was filled with the sound of fierce battles and shouts.
The Greek army took advantage of their tactical superiority and adopted a shocking tactical strategy. They chose to launch a charge at the beginning of the battle, quickly breaking through the Persian army's lines.
Greek soldiers marched forward and rushed towards the enemy, using their shields and spears to attack. Their onslaught caught the Persian army by surprise, causing confusion and disintegration of the enemy army.
During the battle, the Greek army demonstrated their fighting ability and morale. After the charge, they not only maintained the stability of the formation, but also took advantage of the chaotic situation on the battlefield to counterattack the enemy army. Greek soldiers were closely organized and united in a counterattack against the Persian army, defeating the enemy and forcing them to retreat.
Subsequently, the Persian army felt increasingly passive and difficult. Their formation was disintegrated by the onslaught and counteroffensive of the Greek army, and morale began to demoralize. They were in a difficult position because the Persian army's chain of command was not flexible enough to respond effectively to changes in the tide of battle.
In the end, the Greek army ended the battle of Marathon with a surprising victory. The stubborn resistance of the Greek soldiers and the clever use of tactics allowed them to successfully defeat the Persian army. Despite the numerical superiority of the Persian army, Greece ended the battle at the Battle of Marathon with a surprising victory.
The Persian army suffered a major defeat at the Battle of Marathon. Their strategic deployment was defeated by the tactics of the Greek army, and the morale of the soldiers was severely damaged.
During the battle, the Persian army suffered heavy casualties and losses, and many soldiers were killed or captured. Eventually, they were forced to retreat, ending the offensive on the Battle of Marathon.
The Battle of Marathon ended in a Greek victory. The Greek army successfully defeated the Persian army and defended its land and freedom.
After the battle, an Athenian soldier named Philipides was sent to run a distance of about 40 kilometers to convey the good news of the victory over Persia to the citizens of Athens.
With great perseverance and running speed, he reached the center of Athens within hours and declared the victory of Greece. This feat was later known as "marathon running" and became the origin of marathon events.