Battle of Marathon

Outnumbered Athenian hoplites broke Persia’s first invasion of Greece on the plain of Marathon.

Core Principles & Analysis

• The Athenian phalanx enveloped the Persian line by strengthening its wings and thinning its center.
• The legend of Pheidippides running to Athens with the news named the modern marathon race.
• Victory preserved the young Athenian democracy a decade before Thermopylae and Salamis.

Specifications & Metrics

• YEAR: 490 BC