The story of the Marathon campaign is an epic of the Ancient World. When the Ionian Greeks revolted against their Persian overlords in 499BC, the cities of Athens and Eretria came to their aid. The Persian King Darius swore vengeance and in 490BC a fleet of 600 ships packed with troops was sent to take revenge on the Athenians. At Marathon the Greeks met the Persians in battle and drove them in rout back to their ships. The moral effect of this victory was enormous - for the first time a Greek army had defeated the Persians and demonstrated the superiority of hoplite tactics.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Introduction
The Historical Background
The opening Stages of the Campaign
Greek Preparations
The Athenian Army
The Pre-Battle Phase
The Opening Battle
The Persian Rout
The Place of Marathon in History
Visiting the Battlefield
Bibliography
Index
