er or not to engage the enemy, hoping that if they waited long enough the Spartans might show up. If the Spartans did show up it would be a great help to the Athenians. Callimachus, one of the generals, broke the tie by changing his vote in favor of attack. Each general ordinarily held military command for one day, but the generals gave over their days of command to Miltiades, who therefore became the supreme commander for the Battle of Marathon. While the Athenians had debated whether or not to attack, the Persians planned for Hippias to start a civil war in Athens; this maneuver would make the Athenians easier prey. Believing that civil war had broken out in Athens, the Persians loaded part of their forces including all of their cavalry onto ships to sail to Athens and attack the city. Before dawn on the first day of Miltiades command, the Ionians noticed that the Persian calvary was not in the Persian camp. The Ionians immediately informed the Athenians that the Persian cavalry was not in the Persians camp.Miltiades ordered an attack at dawn. With a strong right and left wing and a thin center, the Athenians charged, and when they came within bowshot range they spread at both wings. They then turned and attacked the rear of the Persian army, which had punched through the Athenian line. The battle site proved perfect for the Athenians. Dais, the Persian general, needed room to use his cavalry, but the battle was fought in a narrow neck of the plain, so only a few thousand of the 25,000 Persians on hand could fight at any one time. Miltiades timing was also critical to his victory. The Persians seemed to have been unnerved by the sudden Athenian advance. The Persians fled to their ships, but many died in the marsh as they retreated. The Persians suffered a loss of seven ships and 6,400 men, while the Athenian casualties numbered only 192 men. This was the first time that the Greek phalanx had come against the Persians a...
