Marathon, Battle of

(490 BC) Decisive battle on the plain of Marathon outside Athens in the Persian Wars. Darius I led his enormous army against a much smaller Athenian force led by Miltiades. The Athenians attacked with great speed, while the Persian cavalry was absent, devastating the Persian line and resulting in Darius's departure from Greece. The victory was overwhelming: 6,400 Persians but only 192 Athenians died. It is said that a messenger ran about 25 mi (40 km) back to Athens, where he announced the victory before dying of exhaustion (see marathon). In another version, an Athenian runner was sent to Sparta before the battle to ask for help, running 150 mi (240 km) in two days; Sparta refused, so Athens fought with help only from Plataea.

Find more information on Marathon, Battle of. Upgrade to Britannica Online for more on Marathon, Battle of.