The Persian Wars

The Battle of Marathon (Persian Wars)

The First Battle of the Persian Wars

How it All Began

In the 500s B.C., Persia conquered Ionia which was a Greek colony. Many Greeks were living there. The Greeks in Ionian rebelled against the Persians. Athens sent ships and soldiers to help the Greeks in Ionian get rid of the Persians.

The Revolt Failed and Greece Lost

After the revolt failed, Persians decided the Greeks needed to be punished. The Persian emperor Darius I vowed to punish Athens and seek revenge for helping Ionia.

Persia Invades Athens

In 409 BC, Darius I (the emperor of Persia) sent ships to invade Greece. The Persian fleet landed on the beach of Marathon which was about 25 miles away from Athens.

Smart Battle Strategy

The Greeks were greatly outnumbered. They had to be brave, strong, and smart to win this battle. The Greeks did not attack the Persian invaders right away, but waited and watched for several days.

Smart Battle Strategy

The Persians made the bad decision to load their troops and horses back on their ships and sail directly to Athens. Bad move! This is the exact time Athenian soldiers attacked!

Victory at Marathon

The Persians suffered a terrible defeat on the beach at Marathon. The Athenians fought bravely and slaughtered the invaders. Athenian soldiers chased the rest of the Persian soldiers back on their ships. Darius still planned to sail to Athens. Darius wasn't ready to quit just yet.

Where were the Spartans?

Where were the fiercest fighters during the Battle of Marathon? Athens sent a day runner to send a message asking for help. The Spartans' reply was that it was not a good time and the Athenians would have to fight alone.

Tough as Nails

The bloodied and battle worn Athenians knew that Darius I of Persia was sailing to sack Athens. They had to get up and march to Athens to protect their city.

The Marathon

Athenians sent the same day runner ahead to tell of the victory at Marathon and to warn the citizens of Athens that Darius and the Persians were on their way to attack Athens. Legend says the runner yelled, "Nike" and dropped dead after he arrived in Athens.

The Marathon

To honor the runner and the soldiers at Marathon, "The Marathon" became an Olympic event where competitors run 26.2 miles.

Athenian Army Arrives in Athens

By the time the Persians landed in Athens, the Athenian Army had already arrived. Darius was furious. He didn't even unload his ships. The Persian fleet sailed away!

But It's Not Over...

Nineteen years later, Darius' son Xerxes will attempt to conquer the city-states of Greece and avenge his father's loss.

Time for some questions.

You may take this Quizizz as many times as you would like.

Multiple Choice

The Battle of Marathon was Athens against

• Sparta

• Anatolia

• Persia

• Egypt

Multiple Choice

Who was the emperor of Persia during the Battle of Marathon?

• Julius Caesar

• David

• Alexander

• Darius

Multiple Choice

Why was the emperor of Persia angry with Athens?

• Athenians disrespected the Persian gods.

• Athens would not let Persian ships pass through the Mediterranean Sea.

• Athens stole from the king's gold and diamond mines in Persia.

• Athens helped the Anatolians rebel against Persian rule.

Multiple Choice

Did Sparta send soldiers to fight in the battle of Marathon?

• yes

• no

Multiple Choice

How did the Athenians send urgent messages to other Greek city states?

• day runners

• smoke signals

• yelling really loud

• Google Meets

Multiple Choice

About how far is it from Marathon to Athens?

• 2.5 miles

• 25 miles

• 250 miles

• 2,500 miles

Fill in the Blank

Which city-state won the Battle of Marathon? The answer is one word and must be spelled perfectly.