The Athenian army and its Plataean allies were waiting in the hills around the Plain of Marathon, where the Persian cavalry could not get at them, for reinforcements from Sparta.
After ten days, they saw the Persian cavalry being loaded on ships. They seized the opportunity and ran down and defeated the inferior Persian infantry now unprotected by its cavalry.
Then they realised where the Persian cavalry was going - around to land at unprotacted athens, to gallop up to the city, where traitors would open the gates for them.
The Athenian infantry ran back the 26 miles to Athens and formed up in front of the city just as the Persian cavalry was disembarking. Frustrated, the Persian cavalry went home.
This run is today commemorated in Marathon runs by athletes. However today's spoilt runners don't first have to fight a battle, and carry with them armour and weapons, and run in sandals. And they have exotic diets, rather than living on a basic diet of bread. Who gets your vote for the real tough guys?
Marathon , Greece
The Athenians and their Platian allies defeated the Persians punitive expedition sent against them in a land battle on the Plain of Marathon.
The famous messenger run from Marathon to Athens, which is about 42 km, to inform the Athenians that they had won against the Persians.
I am studying this right now in history the athenians fought against the Persians in 480 b.c.
It is called "The Marathon Battlefield"In 490 BC at this spot, Persians marched against Athenian troops, and although outnumbered 24,000 to 9,000, the Athenians slaughtered their opponents handily.They then sent their swiftest runner, Pheidippides, to alert the city of victory.Entering the Agora, he shouted "We have won" and promptly dropped dead from exhaustion.
they motivated the athenians hide from the persians because they were bad
The Persians fought against the citizens of Athens who were aided by those of Plataea.
The Persians attacked Athens around 490 B.C. primarily due to the Athenians' support of the Ionian Revolt against Persian rule. This rebellion threatened Persian authority in the region, prompting King Darius I to seek retribution against Athens for its involvement. Additionally, the Persians aimed to expand their empire and demonstrate their power by subduing the Greek city-states. The resulting conflict culminated in the famous Battle of Marathon, where the Athenians achieved a surprising victory.
The Battle of Marathon .
490 BC When a runner took a message to Athens with the news that the Greeks had won a battle against the Persians at Marathon
Pheidippedes is the Greek messenger reputed to have run from Marathon to Athens in 490 BC to tell the Athenians they had won the battle against the Persians. In legend, Pheidippedes was reputed to have said 'Rejoice, we conquer' and then dropped dead of exhaustion. The modern-day race known as the marathon refers to his twenty-six mile run.
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.