Britannica
Sources used in this answer
- Greco-Persian Wars - The Persian attack and the Battle of Marathon (490 bce )
- Achaemenid Empire - Darius I (522–486)
- ancient Greek civilization - The Battle of Marathon
- Ionian revolt
- Greco-Persian Wars - The Ionian Revolt (499–493 bce )
- Battle of Marathon
- Greco-Persian Wars - The expedition of Xerxes (480–479 bce )
Why did the Persian army land at Marathon in 490 BCE?
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Darius I
This chromolithograph of a frieze at Susa depicts attendants serving Darius I.
The Persian army landed at Marathon in 490 BCE primarily as part of an expansionist campaign initiated by Darius I to punish Athens and Eretria for their support of the Ionian Revolt.123
The choice of the Marathon plain for the landing was driven by several strategic and political factors:
- Logistics and Geography: The site offered a secure and convenient line of communication and supply with Euboea and the east, and it provided terrain suitable for the Persian cavalry.14
- Political Objectives: The Persians were accompanied by the exiled Athenian tyrant Hippias. He hoped to establish a political bridgehead in the region, leveraging old bonds of clientship and local influence to restore his power in Athens.14
By landing at Marathon, the Persians sought to exploit their military initiative while positioning themselves to potentially blockade or capture Athens, effectively using the location to facilitate their broader goal of subjugating the Greek mainland.1