At the Battle of Marathon, the Persians and Athenians fought. The Persians outnumbered them, but Athens still won.
The Athenian and Plataian infantry remained in the hills around the Plain of Marathon where they were safe from the Persian cavalry. They were awaiting the reinforcement of the Spartan army.
The observed the Persian cavalry being embarked, and took the opportunity to run down and defeat the inferior Persian infantry unprotected by its cavalry, and routed them.
They then realised the Persian cavalry was being shipped around Cape Sounion to land near Athens and gallop up and take the undefended city as the gates were opened by traitors within. They ran back the 26 miles to the city and formed up in front of the gates just in time. The Persians gave up and went home.
The Athenians made this run in sandals, carrying armour and weapons, after having already fought the battle at Marathon.
Today's marathon runners who think they replicate this run get it pretty easy by comparison.
The Battle of Marathon .
The battle of Marathon began in 490 BC. The battle took place between the Persian Empire and the Greeks. Eventually, the Greeks won the war.
The Battle of Marathon, the Battle of Salamis, and the Battle of Thermopylae were fought between Greek city-states and invading Persian Empire forces in the early Fifth Century BCE.
The Battle of Marathon, the Battle of Salamis, and the Battle of Thermopylae were fought between Greek city-states and invading Persian Empire forces in the early Fifth Century BCE.
Marathon was a plain, not a city. It was owned by Athens. They fought a battle against a Persian amphibious punitive expedition sent by Persia in 490 BCE.
The Battle of Marathon took place during the first Persian invasion of Greece, circa 490 BC. It was a decisive victory for the Greeks and essentially ended the Persian invasion.
The Battle of Marathon was a turning point during the first Persian invasion of Greece. The Persians vastly outnumbered the Greeks on the battlefield, but the Greeks were able to defeat them. The Greeks charged the Persian troops with a thin weaker line, while the Greeks' left and right flanks consisted of stronger troops who quickly surrounded the Persian troops and attacked them on both sides. It was a crushing defeat for the Persians, and the battle convinced the Greeks that while the Persian Empire had vast armies and archers, it was possible to defeat them.
The battle of Marathon was a result of the Persians under King Darius the First to punish the Greeks for supporting the Ionian Revolt where Sardis had been burned after capture . The battle was essentially where the Greeks defeated a Persian punitive expedition that failed .
Athens and its ally Plataia defeated the Persian expeditionary force sent out by King Darius at Marathon in 490 BCE.
The Greeks allowed the center to give way thus exposing the Persian flanks to a concerted Greek assault causing the collapse of Persian forces who then sought to escape by sea - the Greeks then slaughtered the Persian forces attempting to escape . Look to the related link below which has an excellent representation of what occurred at the seminal battle of Marathon .
It was not the Greeks, it was Athens and its ally Plataia. The Athenians waited on the edge of the Plain of Marathon for reinforcement from Sparta. Then saw the superior Persian cavalry being embarked on ships and ran down and defeated the unsupported inferior Persian infantry.
Not surprising at all. The Athenian armoured infantry was superior to the Persian infantry. The Greeks attacked the Persians infantry in the absence of their cavalry.