In the triumphal scene above, painted by the French artist Georges Rochegrosse (c. 1859–1938), Athenian and Plataean warriors energetically charge against their foes at the Battle of Marathon, or otherwise celebrate and cheer after winning the fight. This famous battle occurred in 490 BCE, when Miltiades led the Greek forces against an invading expeditionary force sent by King Darius I of Achaemenid Persia. When Miltiades and his army of approximately 10,000 Greeks defeated the Persian force that was between 15,000-30,000 men strong, they cemented their legacy in history by winning one of the most famous battles that occurred in ancient Greece.
Written by C. Keith Hansley
Sources:
- The Histories by Herodotus, translated by Aubrey de Sélincourt and revised by John Marincola. New York: Penguin Classics, 2002.
- https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Marathon
- https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/battle-of-marathon
