At the beginning of the 5th century BC. a formidable external danger hung over Greece. By this time, the Persian state of the Achaemenids was experiencing a period of prosperity (see the article "Ancient Iran"). Its ever expanding political and military expansion directly affected the Greek world. First, the Hellenic policies of the western coast of Asia Minor and the nearby islands were conquered by the Persians. And soon the Persian fleet and ground forces made the first attempt to carry out the occupation of the south of the Balkans.
In 493 BC troops under the command of Mapdonius, son-in-law of King Darius I (521-485 BC), invaded the lands of the Thracian tribes that inhabited the coastal regions of the Northern Aegean, and along the way captured some of the Greek colonial cities located there. The rulers of neighboring Macedonia were also forced to recognize the power of the Persians over themselves.
The reason for the direct invasion of mainland Greece was the help that Athens and Eretria (on the island of Euboea, which lies not far from Attica) had previously provided to the Hellenes of Asia Minor, who rebelled against the despotic power of the Achaemenids. The leading policies of Hellas responded to the ultimatum demand of Darius I to obey him with a decisive refusal. After that, the Persian expeditionary force landed on Euboea and devastated it.
Then he crossed to Attica and on the Marathon plain fought with the Athenian militia, which was much inferior in number to him, to whose aid only detachments from the Boeotian city of Platea managed to come. The outstanding commander Miltiades, who led the Athenian army, correctly assessing the difficult combat situation, overturned the flanks of the enemy formation with a swift blow, after which the main Persian forces, which at first were successful in the center, were utterly defeated. The remnants of the enemy troops fled to the ships in a panic.
With the joyful news of the victory won, a messenger was immediately sent to Athens. The warrior ran more than 42 km without a break and, having informed his fellow citizens about what had happened, fell dead. The Athenian army also hastened to their native city. And, as it turned out, not in vain. The Persian fleet tried to take the Athenians by surprise and attack the city, almost devoid of defenders, but was too late and met the same victorious militia under the command of Miltiades at the proposed landing site, after which he went back to Asia.
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