The Battle of Marathon occurred in 490 BCE and is a significant event in classical history. The cause of the event was King Darius’ plan to expand the Persian Empire. The battle was the first invasion of Greece and was between the Persian Empire and the Athenians with the aid of Platea. Commander Datis led the Persian army and General Miltiades led the Athenian army. The location of this battle took place at the bay of Marathon, which was approximately 27 km northeast of Athens. The Athenian army had the two exits of Marathon blocked to stop the Persian army from intruding further. This battle had short-term consequences within ancient Greek society as well as long-term consequences in today’s society. The cause of the Battle of Marathon was …show more content…
The victory of the Athenians showed their power and superiority to the rest of Greece as it showed the skills of the Athenian army in battle and had fought battles of the second invasion of Greece. This is important to ancient Greek society because the idea of kleos or glory was an accomplishment that people could have. Another consequence of the battle was democracy. It began to rise in Athens as seen as the equal power given to Athenian citizens who are male born to Athenian parents and born in Athens. Athens also set up the Delian League in 447 BCE. It worked as an empire and taxed allies, and the funds were used to protect Greece from another invasion. However, the funds were used by the Periclean Building Programme that was introduced by Pericles. He was the most powerful democratic politician of the 5th century because of the success of the Athenian military. Athens became a beautiful city as described in Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian Wars when it says, “The dead are laid in the public sepulchre in the most beautiful suburb of the city, in which those who fall in war are always buried; with the exception of those slain at Marathon, who for their singular and extraordinary valour were interred on the spot where they fell.” Over time tension between the Athenian’s Delian League and the Spartan’s Peloponnesian League, war broke out in 460 BCE against the Athenians, and the kings. The majority of Thucydides’ resources are written in chronological order and were also living during the time of the battle, which gives us some understanding of the Battle of Marathon. However, Thucydidies did not name where his sources are from as well as having biases towards certain figures. Because of this, it limits our understanding of this event when using Thucydides’ resources. This historical event also has significance for modern society through