490BCSeptember 490 BC · Marathon

Battle of Marathon

The grassy burial mound of the Athenian dead on the plain of Marathon — Photo: George E. Koronaios. CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

A Persian force sent by Darius I landed on the coastal plain of Marathon, north-east of Athens. The Athenian army, helped by a contingent from Plataea, charged across the plain and drove the invaders back to their ships. The victory showed that the Persian Empire could be beaten, and the story of a runner carrying the news to Athens inspired the modern marathon race.

Military & Battlefields
Archaeology
Athens, Greece

Sites

Site 1: Tumulus of the Athenians (Soros)The burial mound raised over the 192 Athenians killed in the battle.Map ↗
Site 2: Archaeological Museum of MarathonFinds from the plain, near the burial mound of the Plataeans.Map ↗