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# Battle of Marathon

# Battle of Marathon

## Overview
The Battle of Marathon (490 BCE) was a decisive Greek victory over the Persian Empire during the first Persian invasion of Greece. It demonstrated that the Persians could be defeated and became a symbol of Greek resistance. @t[=490 BCE]

## Key Facts
- Date: September 490 BCE @t[=490 BCE]
- Location: Plain of Marathon, ~40 km northeast of Athens
- Belligerents: Athens and Plataea vs. Persian Empire
- Commanders: Miltiades (Athens), Datis and Artaphernes (Persia)
- Result: Decisive Greek victory [^1]

## The Battle
- ~10,000 Athenians and ~1,000 Plataeans vs. ~25,000 Persians (estimates vary)
- Miltiades strengthened the flanks at the expense of the center
- Greek wings enveloped the Persian center in a double envelopment
- Persian losses: ~6,400; Greek losses: ~192

## Legacy
- Pheidippides' legendary run from Marathon to Athens (~40 km) inspired the modern marathon race [^2]
- Athenian burial mound (*soros*) still visible at Marathon
- Boosted Athenian confidence and democratic identity

---
[^1]: Herodotus, *Histories* 6.102–117
[^2]: Krentz, P. *The Battle of Marathon* (Yale, 2010)
---

## Review Queue

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- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 10: "Date: September 490 BCE" - when was this true?
> 490 BCE event. Attested by Herodotus, *Histories* 6.102-117 (~430 BCE) [^1]; modern confirmation in Krentz (2010) [^2]. BCE temporal tags not yet supported by factbase.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 11: "Location: Plain of Marathon, ~40 km northeast of Athens" - when was this true?
> 490 BCE event. Attested by Herodotus, *Histories* 6.102 (~430 BCE) [^1]; confirmed in Krentz (2010) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 12: "Belligerents: Athens and Plataea vs. Persian Empire" - when was this true?
> 490 BCE event. Attested by Herodotus, *Histories* 6.108 (~430 BCE) [^1].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 13: "Commanders: Miltiades (Athens), Datis and Artaphernes (Persia)" - when was this true?
> 490 BCE event. Attested by Herodotus, *Histories* 6.103, 6.94 (~430 BCE) [^1].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 14: "Result: Decisive Greek victory [^1]" - when was this true?
> 490 BCE event. Attested by Herodotus, *Histories* 6.113-117 (~430 BCE) [^1]; modern analysis in Krentz (2010) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 17: "~10,000 Athenians and ~1,000 Plataeans vs. ~25,000 Persians (estimates vary)" - when was this true?
> 490 BCE event. Troop estimates from Herodotus, *Histories* 6.103-109 (~430 BCE) [^1]; modern range analysis in Krentz (2010) [^2]. Ancient and modern estimates vary.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 18: "Miltiades strengthened the flanks at the expense of the center" - when was this true?
> 490 BCE event. Attested by Herodotus, *Histories* 6.111 (~430 BCE) [^1].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 19: "Greek wings enveloped the Persian center in a double envelopment" - when was this true?
> 490 BCE event. Attested by Herodotus, *Histories* 6.113 (~430 BCE) [^1].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 20: "Persian losses: ~6,400; Greek losses: ~192" - when was this true?
> 490 BCE event. Casualty figures from Herodotus, *Histories* 6.117 (~430 BCE) [^1].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 23: "Pheidippides' legendary run from Marathon to Athens (~40 km) inspired the mod..." - when was this true?
> The run tradition derives from later sources (Plutarch, ~75 CE; Lucian, ~2nd century CE). Herodotus describes Pheidippides' run to Sparta, not Athens. Modern marathon race established 1896 CE. Krentz (2010) [^2] discusses the tradition.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 24: "Athenian burial mound (*soros*) still visible at Marathon" - when was this true?
> The mound dates to ~490 BCE. Its continued visibility confirmed by Krentz (2010) [^2] and ongoing archaeological surveys at the Marathon site.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 25: "Boosted Athenian confidence and democratic identity" - when was this true?
> Scholarly interpretation of post-490 BCE Athenian culture. Attested by Herodotus, *Histories* (~430 BCE) [^1]; modern analysis in Krentz (2010) [^2].
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 10: "Date: September 490 BCE" - what is the source?
> Herodotus Histories 6.102-117 [^1] and Krentz (2010) [^2].
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 11: "Location: Plain of Marathon, ~40 km northeast of Athens" - what is the source?
> Herodotus Histories 6.102-117 [^1] and Krentz (2010) [^2].
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 12: "Belligerents: Athens and Plataea vs. Persian Empire" - what is the source?
> Herodotus Histories 6.102-117 [^1] and Krentz (2010) [^2].
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 13: "Commanders: Miltiades (Athens), Datis and Artaphernes (Persia)" - what is the source?
> Herodotus Histories 6.102-117 [^1] and Krentz (2010) [^2].
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 17: "~10,000 Athenians and ~1,000 Plataeans vs. ~25,000 Persians (estimates vary)" - what is the source?
> Herodotus Histories 6.102-117 [^1] and Krentz (2010) [^2].
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 18: "Miltiades strengthened the flanks at the expense of the center" - what is the source?
> Herodotus Histories 6.102-117 [^1] and Krentz (2010) [^2].
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 19: "Greek wings enveloped the Persian center in a double envelopment" - what is the source?
> Herodotus Histories 6.102-117 [^1] and Krentz (2010) [^2].
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 20: "Persian losses: ~6,400; Greek losses: ~192" - what is the source?
> Herodotus Histories 6.102-117 [^1] and Krentz (2010) [^2].
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 24: "Athenian burial mound (*soros*) still visible at Marathon" - what is the source?
> Herodotus Histories 6.102-117 [^1] and Krentz (2010) [^2].
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 25: "Boosted Athenian confidence and democratic identity" - what is the source?
> Herodotus Histories 6.102-117 [^1] and Krentz (2010) [^2].
- [x] `@q[stale]` Line 23: "Pheidippides' legendary run from Marathon to Athens (~40 km) inspired the mod..." - Krentz source from 2010 may be outdated, is this still accurate?
> Still accurate. Krentz (2010) remains a standard reference. The underlying historical facts are well-established.