in Ancient Geography, one of the demi or hamlets of Attica; about 10 miles to the northeast of Athens, towards Boeotia, near the sea. It still retains its ancient name (Dr Chandler informs us); but is very inconsiderable, consisting only of a few houses and gardens. The plain of Marathon, famous for Miltiades's victory over the Persians, by which the liberties of Athens and other cities of Greece were saved, is long and narrow, but consisting chiefly of level ground, and therefore admitting the operations of cavalry, which formed the main strength of the barbarian army, and with which the Greeks were very poorly provided. Here the Persians, under the command of Datis, pitched their camp, by the advice of Hippias the banished king of Athens, whose solicitations and intrigues had promoted the expedition, and whose perfect knowledge of the country, and intimate acquaintance with the affairs of Greece, rendered his opinion on all occasions respectable. The Persian army is said to have consisted of 100,000 infantry, and 10,000 horse.—Athens was in the utmost consternation and dismay. She had, upon the Marathon. first appearance of the Persian fleet, sent to implore assistance from the other nations of Greece: but some had submitted to Darius, and others trembled at the very name of the Medes and Persians. The Lacedaemonians alone promised troops; but various obstacles did not allow them immediately to form a junction with those of Athens. This city therefore could only rely on its own strength; and happily at this moment there appeared three men destined to give new energy to the state. These were Miltiades, Arisides, and Themistocles; whose example and harangues kindled the flame of the noblest heroism in the minds of the Athenians. Levies were immediately made. Each of the ten tribes furnished 1000 foot soldier, with a commander at their head. To complete this number it was necessary to enrol the slaves (A). No sooner were the troops assembled than they marched out of the city into the plain of Marathon, where the inhabitants of Platea in Boeotia sent them a reinforcement of 1000 infantry.

Scarcely were the two armies in sight of each other, before Miltiades proposed to attack the enemy. Arisides and several of the commanders warmly supported this measure: but the rest, terrified at the excessive disproportion of the armies, were devious of waiting for the succours from Lacedaemon. Opinions being divided, they had recourse to that of the polemarch, or chief of the militia, who was consulted on such occasions, to put an end to the equality of suffrages. Miltiades addressed himself to him, with the ardour of a man deeply impressed with the importance of present circumstances: "Athens (said he to him) is on the point of experiencing the greatest of vicissitudes. Ready to become the first power of Greece, or the theatre of the tyranny and fury of Hippias, from you alone, Callimachus, the now awaits her destiny. If we suffer the ardour of the troops to cool, they will shamefully bow beneath the Persian yoke; but if we lead them on to battle, the gods and victory will favour us. A word from your mouth must now precipitate your country into slavery or prefer her liberty." Callimachus gave his suffrage, and the battle was resolved. To ensure success, Arisides, and the other generals after his example, yielded to Miltiades the honour of the command which belonged to them in rotation: but, to secure them from every hazard, he preferred waiting for the day which of right placed him at the head of the army.

When that day arrived, Miltiades drew up his troops at the foot of a mountain, on a spot of ground scattered over with trees to impede the Persian cavalry. The Plateans were placed on the left wing; Callimachus commanded the right; Arisides and Themistocles were in the centre of the battle, and Miltiades everywhere. An interval of nearly a mile separated the Grecian army from that of the Persians. At the first signal the Greeks advanced over this space running. The Persians, astonished at a mode of attack so novel to both nations, for a moment remained motionless; but to the impetuous fury of the enemy Marathon, they soon opposed a more sedate and not less formidable fury. After an obstinate conflict of some hours, victory began to declare herself in the two wings of the Grecian army. The right dispersed the enemy in the plain, while the left drove them back on a morass that had the appearance of a meadow, in which they stuck fast and were lost. Both these bodies of troops now flew to the succour of Arisides and Themistocles, ready to give way before the flower of the Persian troops placed by Datis in the centre of his battle. From this moment the rout became general. The Persians, repulsed on all sides, found their only asylum in the fleet which had approached the shore. The conquerors pursued them with fire and sword, and took, burnt, or sunk the greater part of their vessels: the rest escaped by dint of rowing.

The Persian army lost about 6400 men: that of the Athenians 192. Miltiades was wounded; Hippias was left dead on the field, as were Stefielus and Callimachus, two of the Athenian generals. Scarcely was the battle over, when a soldier, worn out with fatigue forms the project of carrying the first news of so signal a success to the magistrates of Athens, and without quitting his arms, he runs, flies, arrives, announces the victory, and falls dead at their feet.

This battle was fought on the 6th of Boedromion, in the third year of the 72d Olympiad (or 29th September anno 490 B. C.). The next day 2000 Spartans arrived. In three days and nights they had marched 1200 stadia. Though informed of the defeat of the Persians, they continued their march to Marathon, nor did they enviously thun to behold those fields where a rival nation had signalized itself by so heroic an action: they there beheld the tents of the Persians still standing, the plain strewn over with dead, and covered with costly spoils: they there found Arisides, who with his tribe was guarding the prisoners and booty; and did not retire until they had bestowed just applause on the victors.

The Athenians neglected nothing to eternalize the memory of those who fell in the battle. It had been usual to inter the citizens who perished in war at the public expense, in the Ceramicus without the city; but the death of these was deemed uncommonly meritorious. They were buried, and a barrow was made for them, where their bravery had been manifested. Their names were engraven on half columns erected on the plain of Marathon. These monuments, not excepting those of the generals Callimachus and Stefielus, were in a style of the greatest simplicity. In the intervals between them were erected trophies bearing the arms of the Persians. An artist of eminence had painted all the circumstances of the battle in one of the most frequented porticoes of the city: Miltiades was there represented at the head of the generals, and in the act of exhorting the troops to fight for their country.

Pausanias examined the field of battle about 600 years

(A) Travels of Anacharsis; authority, Pausan. i. 79. But Dr Gillies seems to think that the armed slaves were not included in the 10,000; but amounted of themselves to a greater number, and which formed the centre of the battle. years after this event. His account of it is as follows: "The barrow of the Athenians is in the plain, and on it are pillars containing the names of the dead under those of the tribes to which they belonged; and there is another for the Plateans and slaves; and a distinct monument of Miltiades the commander, who survived this exploit. There may be perceived nightly the neighing of horses and the clashing of arms. No person has derived any good from waiting on purpose to behold the spectres; but their anger does not fall on any one who happens to see them without design. The Marathonians worship those who were slain in the battle, calling them heroes.—A trophy also of white marble has been erected. The Athenians say the Medes were buried, religion requiring that the corpse of a man be covered with earth; though I was not able to find any place of sepulture, for there is no barrow or other sign visible; but they threw them promiscuously into a pit.—Above the lake are the marble mangers of the horses of Artaphernes, with marks of a tent on the rocks."

Many centuries have elapsed since the age of Pausanias; but the principal barrow, it is likely that of the gallant Athenians, still towers above the level of the plain. It is of light fine earth, and has a bush or two growing on it. Dr Chandler informs us, that he enjoyed a pleasant and satisfactory view from the summit; and looked, but in vain, for the pillars on which the names were recorded, lamenting that such memorials should ever be removed. At a small distance northward is a square base of white marble, perhaps part of the trophy. A Greek church has stood near it; and some stones and rubbish, disposed so as to form an open place of worship, remain.