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Herodotus tells us that opinion among the Athenian commanders was divided with some opposed to attacking with their heavily outnumbered force. Others, especially Miltiades supported an offensive strategy. Miltiades is credited with persuading the war archon Callimachus through a stirring speech to cast his deciding vote in favour of an offensive strategy. Herodotus in his narrative has Miltiades say ‘If we refuse to fight, I have little doubt that the result will be bitter”. However it has also been suggested that the Greek offensive was based on the apparent absence of the Persian cavalry which Herodotus fails to mention. This is puzzling as most modern historians acknowledge that a Persian cavalry force had already disembarked from the fleet onto land and Herodotus said the Persians chose Marathon because it was “the best ground for cavalry to manoeuvre in.”. It has also been assumed that Miltiades deployed the Greek phalanx with strong wings and a weak centre, a strategy that secured victory. As a former tyrant of Ionia he would have experience in Persian tactics, also possibly the reason why Callimachus headed his advice. However Herodotus also does not make any mention of
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Athens received much honour and glory for the Persian defeat dramatically increasing Athens reputation, especially with Sparta’s absence from the field. It was also an important moral victory for Greece as 10 000 Athenians and 1000 Boeotians defeated a Persian force almost three time larger of 25 000 infantry and 5000 cavalry. This showed the rest of Greece that victory against the much larger Achaemenid empire was far from impossible. The victory at Marathon can be largely attributed to Miltiades and the significant impact the battle had altered the course of the war leading to Greek victory.
Themistocles is credited with founding Athens’ ascent to power and influence through his naval policy. According to Herodotus Themistocles believed that Athens’ future lay on the sea as a trading power. For this purpose he advocated improvements to the harbour at Athens and the beginning of a major shipbuilding program. This program would ultimately contribute to Greek victory in the Battle of Salamis with Athens contributing over half of the fleet’s …show more content…
Themistocles strategy was to lure the Persians into the narrowest part of the straits where the Greeks’ intimate knowledge of the waterway and the Persian predisposition for maintaining formations would offset the numerical disparity between them. It also prevented the Persians from overwhelming the Greeks with their fleet numbering 500 ships against the Greek fleet numbering 378 ships. Most of the Greek vessels were equipped with rams and were faster and more agile in the confined waterway. Themistocles strategy was a complete success with the Persians losing 200 ships whilst the Greeks lost only
Athens received much honour and glory for the Persian defeat dramatically increasing Athens reputation, especially with Sparta’s absence from the field. It was also an important moral victory for Greece as 10 000 Athenians and 1000 Boeotians defeated a Persian force almost three time larger of 25 000 infantry and 5000 cavalry. This showed the rest of Greece that victory against the much larger Achaemenid empire was far from impossible. The victory at Marathon can be largely attributed to Miltiades and the significant impact the battle had altered the course of the war leading to Greek victory.
Themistocles is credited with founding Athens’ ascent to power and influence through his naval policy. According to Herodotus Themistocles believed that Athens’ future lay on the sea as a trading power. For this purpose he advocated improvements to the harbour at Athens and the beginning of a major shipbuilding program. This program would ultimately contribute to Greek victory in the Battle of Salamis with Athens contributing over half of the fleet’s …show more content…
Themistocles strategy was to lure the Persians into the narrowest part of the straits where the Greeks’ intimate knowledge of the waterway and the Persian predisposition for maintaining formations would offset the numerical disparity between them. It also prevented the Persians from overwhelming the Greeks with their fleet numbering 500 ships against the Greek fleet numbering 378 ships. Most of the Greek vessels were equipped with rams and were faster and more agile in the confined waterway. Themistocles strategy was a complete success with the Persians losing 200 ships whilst the Greeks lost only