01866caf6a
- Updated perspective.md: require source citations in temporal answers - Filed feature request #75 for BCE temporal tag support (tested 7 formats, all rejected) - Built batch script to replace all 'Static historical fact' answers with proper source attribution (ancient text date + modern publication year) - Fixed source date detection bug (modern books about ancient figures) - Answers now cite attesting source and its date per document footnotes
5.9 KiB
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.
Key Facts
- Date: September 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
Review Queue
@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.
@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 .
@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 .
@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 .
@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 .
@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.
@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 .
@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 .
@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 .
@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.
@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.
@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 .
@q[missing]Line 10: "Date: September 490 BCE" - what is the source?
@q[missing]Line 11: "Location: Plain of Marathon, ~40 km northeast of Athens" - what is the source?
@q[missing]Line 12: "Belligerents: Athens and Plataea vs. Persian Empire" - what is the source?
@q[missing]Line 13: "Commanders: Miltiades (Athens), Datis and Artaphernes (Persia)" - what is the source?
@q[missing]Line 17: "~10,000 Athenians and ~1,000 Plataeans vs. ~25,000 Persians (estimates vary)" - what is the source?
@q[missing]Line 18: "Miltiades strengthened the flanks at the expense of the center" - what is the source?
@q[missing]Line 19: "Greek wings enveloped the Persian center in a double envelopment" - what is the source?
@q[missing]Line 20: "Persian losses: ~6,400; Greek losses: ~192" - what is the source?
@q[missing]Line 24: "Athenian burial mound (soros) still visible at Marathon" - what is the source?
@q[missing]Line 25: "Boosted Athenian confidence and democratic identity" - what is the source?
@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.