Atlas of Battles

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Battle of Marathon

Battle of Marathon was a battle fought on 12 September 490 BC at Marathon, in what is now Greece. It was part of First Persian invasion of Greece, which ran from 492 BC to 490 BC. The recorded result: Athenian victory.

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Scene of the Battle of Marathon
Scene of the Battle of Marathon. John Steeple Davis, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought12 September 490 BC
WhereMarathon, Greece38.118N, 23.978E
OutcomeAthenian victory
BelligerentsAthens; PlataeaagainstAchaemenid Empire
Part ofFirst Persian invasion of Greece492 BC to 490 BC

Record

Date12 September 490 BC
PlaceMarathon, Greece
38.118N, 23.978E
KindBattle, ancient
Strength10,000–11,000 menModern estimates:25,000 infantry; 1,000 cavalry (unengaged); >100,000 armed oarsmen and sailors (reserve); 600 triremes; >50 horse-carriers; >200 supply ships
Commanders
  • Miltiades
  • Callimachus (polemarch)
  • Aristides
  • Xanthippus (father of Pericles)
  • Themistocles
  • Arimnestus
  • Datis
  • Artaphernes (nephew of Darius I)
  • Hippias (tyrant)
Battle of MarathonBattle of MarathonSiege of the AcropolisSiege of the AcropolisSiege of AthensSiege of the AcropolisSiege of AthensSiege of the AcropolisSiege of the AcropolisSiege of AthensKalamataChalkidaTripoliErmoupoliLamia100 km38.118N, 23.978E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 490 BC

Battle of Marathon is one of 99 engagements of the 5th century BC in the atlas and one of 493 in present-day Greece.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q31900, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Marathon, revision 1384284800, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.