BATTLE OF MARATHON (September 13 - 490)

General Situation     :

After having burned Naxos and subjected Cyclades, having besieged and having plundered Eretria, the persian task force disembark in Marathon Bay.

Athenians and Plataeans hold the peaks covering the coastal road which leads to Athens. Inferiors in a number, the Greeks await reinforcements of Sparte which is long in sending them for religious observance. Greeks must block the Persian army and they cut the trees and dispose them like a defense. They do not want to advance in the plain where the Persian cavalry move at ease. The Persians await a revolt of the Athenians and do not want to start the combat in a position unfavorable to their cavalry. The adversaries observe themselves during eight days.

The Persians act, send by sea, towards Athenes, a shock troop which includes cavalry and some elements of infantry. The persians infantrymen advance to prevent return of Athenians in their city. To beat the Persans here and to reach Athens before the enemy vessels is the only chance of the Greeks. To contain persian front, Miltiades extends their line, by maintaining the wings with 8 rows of hoplites and leaving in the center only 4 rows.

It is 9 a.m. The Greeks remain master of the battle field, and when the Persian fleet approaches Athens, the hoplites are already in the city. The victory is complete.

 

Phases of battle
 
 
 
 

Effectives	PERSIANS	GREEKS
Infantry	20 000	Athenians	9 000 Hoplites
		Plataeans	600 Hoplites
Cavalry	5 000	None
Fleet	200  Triremes	None
Total Land Forces	25 000		9 600

 
 

A persian cavalry  B persian infantry  C Athenians  D Plataeans
A persian cavalry  B persian infantry  C Athenians D Plataeans
A persian cavalry  B persian infantry  C Athenians D Plataeans

 

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THERMOPYLAE - 480

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General Situation :  Towards - 481/- 480, Xerxes prepares a massive invasion of Greece. At the same time, a punic invasion in Sicily may prevent the continental Greeks from being reinforced.  The Greeks project two operations in the north of Athens.

1. The Greek fleet, leaded by Spartam Euribiades and Athenian Themistocle,  prend position in a strait which separates Eubea from continental Greece. A part of the Persian fleet which seeks to circumvent the coast of Eubea sink. The Greeks push back a frontal attack and the Persian ships must spread out the storm during the night. One second tackles two days later does not have more success.

2. 7 000 Greeks led by Leonidas block the road for the 200 000 Persians in a narrow gorge called Thermopylae - "hot doors", because of the many hot sources are present, - between the mountains and the sea. The battle of Artemission prevents Xerxes from unloading troops on the backs of the Greeks. During several days, the Persians launch massive attacks right on the Greeks, they are pushed back with heavy losses. Ten thousand "Immortals" under the orders of Hydarnes, guided by a Greek traitor, named, like specifies it to us Diodore of Sicily, Ephialtes of Malia, through the passage of Anopaea on the peak of the Callidromos mount, start to take Leonidas in reverse. Phoceans are withdrawn on the peaks, the Persians circumvent them. Leonidas is informed of this operation, orders the retirement for all his men, thousand excepted, to avoid their to be cut from the large part of the army. The hoplites who are remained on their positions are encircled, then it is a furious fight where Leonidas finds death. The Spartans entranch themselves from a small hill where they are killed until the last. Result: Xerxes goes towards the south to occupy Athens.   Effectives GREEKCS PERSIANS Infantry 7 000 180 000 Cavalry        0   20 000 Triremes    271     1 200

 

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