First, by a stratagem they were able to convince the Persian commander that the Greek fleet would try to flee through the back entrance to the Strait of Salamis, so the Persians diverted the 200-ship Egyptian contingent to cover that escape route. This evened up the fleets for the main battle.
Second, by positioning themselves inside the Island of Psytallia, this required the Persian fleet to split in two, and each to enter the strait on a narrow front, so that the Greek fleet was able to attack the Persian columns from the flanks. This, and the closeness of the shores minimised the manoeuvre space for the nominally larger and superior Persian triremes.
The Persians were not helped by the fact that they had been sitting at their oars outside the Strait all night to stop an expected Greek breakout, and were tired before they got into the battle the following morning, and a strong wind had raised the waves and pushed against their higher ship sides, making manoeuvre more difficult for them.
The Greeks had tried this at Artemesion opposite Thermopylae and come off second best. This time they picked the right location and overwhelmed the opposition.
The Battle of Marathon was the first attempt , and first defeat , by Persian forces to subjugate Greece . The Persians were defeated by the Athenians at Marathon , Greece .
The Battle of Marathon had shown to the Greek city-states that they could thwart Persian invasion forces and also proved that Greek armour and tactics were superior to those of the Persians .
A major Greek victory against the Persians was the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC. The outnumbered Athenian forces, led by General Miltiades, achieved a surprising victory over the Persian army, effectively halting their advance into mainland Greece. This battle is significant not only for its military outcome but also for boosting Greek confidence and unity in the face of Persian aggression. The victory at Marathon set the stage for future Greek successes in the Persian Wars.
The commander was Leonidas, one of the two kings of Sparta.
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 you're referring to is the Battle of Marathon, fought in 490 BC during the first Persian invasion of Greece. The Athenians achieved a surprising victory against the larger Persian forces. Following the battle, the messenger Phidippides is said to have run approximately 26.2 miles from Marathon to Athens to announce the victory, which is the inspiration for the modern marathon race. His legendary run symbolizes endurance and the spirit of victory.
The Persians likely landed at Marathon instead of going directly to Athens to establish a secure foothold in Greece and to gather local support against the Athenians. Marathon's location allowed them to launch an attack while simultaneously securing a supply line and communication route. Additionally, landing at Marathon may have been a strategic move to draw out the Athenian forces and engage them in battle on more favorable ground. Such tactics would have aimed to weaken Athens before a direct assault on the city itself.
Darius I, also known as Darius the Great was defeated in the Battle of Marathon.
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.
The Achaemenid Empire.
The Athenian militia defeated the the Persian forces of Darius I.