well as Persians, captured several island towns and took Eretrea on Euboea by treachery. The fleet then crossed the narrow strait from Euboea to the Greek mainland and disembarked about 25000 men, both cavalry and infantry, on the beach at Marathon in northeastern Attica. Here there was fine shelving sand that would make it easy to haul up the large Persian warships and disembarked their horses. Hippias, the tyrant of Athens who had been exiled in 510 BC accompanied the Persians. His inside information was obviously useful. The location also provided natural protection on the landward side, an easy line of retreat by sea, and good grazing for the Persians horses. The Athenian general Meltiades persuaded the assembly of the Athenian democracy to dispatch him and the rest of the board of ten generals with 10000 hoplites to Marathon. Hoplites were heavily armed infantry soldiers. Philippides was sent to Sparta to ask the Spartans for aid. At the time, no one believed victory would be possible without the help of Sparta. They were the best-trained warriors in Greece. Phillippedes reached Sparta, 140 miles away, the day after he set out. The Spartans, however could not be hurried, and said that they would only dispatch their men after the six-day festival honoring Apollo. Sending any men before that time would insure defeat, because the god would be displeased. Meanwhile a thousand Plataeans from Boeotia marched to the aid of the Athenians. For three days, nothing happened. The two armies sat facing one another, two or three miles apart. Neither army was prepared to make the first move. But the Athenian army did not sit twiddling their thumbs; they cut trees and set the branches facing the Persians, to defend against the cavalry of Datis. The Persian camp was at the west edge of a great marsh in the northeast part of the plain. The Athenians were on the plain of Heracles. The Athenian generals were equally divided on wheth...
