Original subtitles

ATHENAGORAS: I can still hear the war cry of the hoplites,

marching towards the enemy.

10,000 voices rising like one,

drowning out the sounds of the waves.

I can still see the Persian barbarians fleeing in disarray.

I hear the cries of their horses stuck in the marshes.

I hear the cries of their horses stuck in the marshes.

I can smell the blood in the sand.

My name is Athenagoras,

and I fought at Marathon.

and I fought at Marathon.

NARRATOR: Schinias Beach along Greece's beautiful Aegean Coast...

NARRATOR: Schinias Beach along Greece's beautiful Aegean Coast...

..around 40 km north of Athens.

It's a dreamlike landscape,

It's a dreamlike landscape,

virtually unchanged since the time 2,500 years ago

when Persian and Greek warriors clashed in an epic battle

when Persian and Greek warriors clashed in an epic battle

on a plain on the edge of the beach...

..the plain of Marathon.

In 490 BCE, 10,000 horsemen

and tens of thousands of infantrymen landed on this beach.

and tens of thousands of infantrymen landed on this beach.

They arrived from the four corners of the Persian Empire,

aboard some 600 galleys.

aboard some 600 galleys.

ELENA: The realm of the Persians was huge,

really huge.

But it's like having

But it's like having

an army of mercenaries.

It wasn't for their city.

It was for their survival,

It was for their survival,

and for the wealth that they would get from the spoils.

So, that's not fighting

So, that's not fighting

for your own country, your own family.

NARRATOR: At the time, Persia is the largest empire

NARRATOR: At the time, Persia is the largest empire

the planet has ever seen.

It is an enormous territory, conquered by force,

stretching from India in the east

stretching from India in the east

to modern-day Bulgaria in the west,

from the Black Sea to the north, to Egypt in the south.

The man who reigns over this vast expanse

is Darius the Great.

He's known as the King of Kings,

and his ambition knows no bounds.

and his ambition knows no bounds.

And now... he has set his sights on Greece.

The Greeks are led by Miltiades the Younger,

The Greeks are led by Miltiades the Younger,

a battle-hardened veteran

and expert strategist.

CONSTANTINOS: He's someone who knows his enemy

from within and from the outside.

from within and from the outside.

As an ally, as an enemy.

So he knows this because he fought with them

as an ally in Scythia

in 512 BC,

in 512 BC,

and he fought against them during the Ionian revolution.

ATHENAGORAS: I followed Miltiades on all his campaigns.

ATHENAGORAS: I followed Miltiades on all his campaigns.

I was at his side when he went to fight the Scythians

and Sacians for that tyrant Darius.

and Sacians for that tyrant Darius.

He knows them well, these barbarians,

these arrogant Persians and their warhorses.

No one can stand up to them better than he can.

No one can stand up to them better than he can.

NARRATOR: In the 5th century BCE,

NARRATOR: In the 5th century BCE,

Greece was a collection of independent

and often quarrelsome city-states.

- (warrior speaks other language)

- (warrior speaks other language)

NARRATOR: The cities regularly went to war with one another...

..yet, at the same time, they realised

that they shared a common land and culture.

that they shared a common land and culture.

The Greece that Darius wanted to conquer

was not so much a state.

was not so much a state.

It was an idea.

ELENA: The ancient writers

say that, of course,

say that, of course,

whoever has Greek education,

has the Greek mentality, is also a Greek.

They fought a lot,

They fought a lot,

and they had huge differences, but they're Greeks.

NARRATOR: Of all the Greek cities,

NARRATOR: Of all the Greek cities,

it was Athens that Darius wanted to strike first.

Athens, which ten years earlier

had supported a Greek revolt against the Persians

on the other side of the Aegean Sea.

It was an affront that the all-powerful King of Kings

It was an affront that the all-powerful King of Kings

could not allow to go unpunished.

What we know about this conflict

What we know about this conflict

is primarily thanks to an ancient author.

Herodotus.

- (Romain speaking French)

- (Romain speaking French)

CONSTANTINOS: The Persians launched their expedition.

CONSTANTINOS: The Persians launched their expedition.

Herodotus records they went to the Cyclades.

They captured Naxos,

and then want to Ethia and then destroyed Eretria.

and then want to Ethia and then destroyed Eretria.

Now, that takes weeks.

And the Athenians knew that they were coming,

this huge naval force.

this huge naval force.

NARRATOR: As the Persian fleet sails down from the North,

they are met with steep hills

they are met with steep hills

that all but close off access to Athens.

Only one site seems suitable

for landing an army as large as theirs: the beach at Schinias,

for landing an army as large as theirs: the beach at Schinias,

with the plain of Marathon spread out beyond it.

Aware of this, the Athenians have already deployed

their soldiers to await the Persian invasion.

their soldiers to await the Persian invasion.

The Athenians have sent all the forces

at their disposal to intercept them.

at their disposal to intercept them.

According to Herodotus, they number nearly 10,000 men,

and they are joined by 1,000 more fighters

sent as reinforcements by the city of Plataea.

sent as reinforcements by the city of Plataea.

Vincent Torres is a historian

specialising in ancient military history.

specialising in ancient military history.

He reconstructs historical campaigns

using written sources and archaeological evidence

to gain a better understanding of how

to gain a better understanding of how

ancient warriors like these fought.

- (Vincent speaks French)

NARRATOR: The hoplites are the Greek cities' elite fighters.

NARRATOR: The hoplites are the Greek cities' elite fighters.

Their equipment is called the panoply.

- (Vincent speaking French)

NARRATOR: To complete the panoply, all hoplites wear a bronze helmet,

the kranos, which covers the entire head,

the kranos, which covers the entire head,

and protects the face and neck.

- (Vincent speaks French)

- (actors chatter in other language)

NARRATOR: Herodotus doesn't mention these gymnoi in his account.

NARRATOR: Herodotus doesn't mention these gymnoi in his account.

He only mentions the hoplites, who formed the elite fighting units.

However, he does say that Athens sent

However, he does say that Athens sent

all the forces at its disposal to Marathon.

It follows, then, that the size of the Greek army

It follows, then, that the size of the Greek army

must have been much greater than the 10,000 estimated by Herodotus.

CONSTANTINOS: 10,000 soldiers is not...

CONSTANTINOS: 10,000 soldiers is not...

..the number of soldiers that Athens

could put to the field,

could put to the field,

because the citizens were more than 30,000 citizens.

Each citizen was a soldier.

You became a citizen because you were a soldier.

You became a citizen because you were a soldier.

Now you have another 20,000, approximately.

- (speaking French)

NARRATOR: At the time of the Persian invasion of Marathon,

Athens lives under a political system of its own creation:

Athens lives under a political system of its own creation:

isonomy, based on the equality of all before the law.

Ten archons share executive power.

Ten archons share executive power.

And every year, one of them is chosen to be polemarch,

or military commander.

In 490 BCE,

that military commander is named Callimachus.

that military commander is named Callimachus.

But Callimachus will not lead this war alone.

He's flanked by ten generals elected by the citizens,

He's flanked by ten generals elected by the citizens,

the most experienced of which is Miltiades the Younger.

According to Herodotus, Callimachus and his generals

According to Herodotus, Callimachus and his generals

set up camp on a hill to the south of the plain of Marathon.

CONSTANTINOS: The footpath that we're walking towards the camp...

CONSTANTINOS: The footpath that we're walking towards the camp...

is logically the same way

they went up during ancient times.

So we've come across the first remains

of the fortification of the Athenians.

A watchtower.

It's square,

and it's got a perfect view

and it's got a perfect view

of the plain of Marathon, and also the passage.

Maybe they had 20 soldiers here.

Maybe they had 20 soldiers here.

No more than that, because as we walk upwards,

we'll find other similar structures.

NARRATOR: Herodotus doesn't provide details

about what this camp looked like,

or even how the fortifications were built.

CONSTANTINOS: They made this as a fort.

You can see how wide it is.

Now, temporary Greek camps,

the fortifications were very wide,

the fortifications were very wide,

because they amassed

millions of rocks in order to make it much stronger.

This was made within a few hours.

And how was it possible to make this in a few hours?

You had thousands of men. This place is full of rocks.

You had thousands of men. This place is full of rocks.

So they gathered it.

NARRATOR: Darius the Great does not lead the expeditionary force.

The King of Kings has entrusted the command of his army

to his nephew, Artaphernes,

and the command of his fleet to his admiral, Datis.

and the command of his fleet to his admiral, Datis.

And, for the moment, the two warlords

are content to observe their opponents.

are content to observe their opponents.

The Greek camp, built on a hill above a key pass,

blocks the most direct route to Athens.

blocks the most direct route to Athens.

On the other side, the Persian camp borders a large, marshy area.

Steep hills behind the plain

prevent the Persians and their horses

from going around the Greeks to catch them off-guard.

from going around the Greeks to catch them off-guard.

- Even though the Persians disembarked

at Schinias, at the beach,

made their camp there

for more than a week.

They were in the plain. They didn't move.

If the Athenians were not here, the Persians, of course,

would follow this road over there and go to Athens.

would follow this road over there and go to Athens.

NARRATOR: According to Herodotus,

the wait drags on for five days.

the wait drags on for five days.

Five days during which the ten generals

leading the Athenian army fail to reach an agreement.

ATHENAGORAS: For days, we've been watching the barbarians

at the other end of the plain,

and the barbarians have been watching us.

We just wait for our leaders to make up their minds.

We just wait for our leaders to make up their minds.

Miltiades, our leader, knows what he wants to do:

to attack, and by the gods,

to send these barbarians back to their galleys.

to send these barbarians back to their galleys.

So far, he's convinced half the generals.

- They wanted to be

a kind of paradigm

a kind of paradigm

to all the other Greeks.

They felt that the winds would be on their side,

the gods would be on their side,

the gods would be on their side,

that they were fulfilling a duty

for Athens, but for the whole of Greece.

NARRATOR: But the other half of the generals refuse to fight.

They prefer to wait,

but not because they don't want to confront the Persians.

but not because they don't want to confront the Persians.

They believe they are fighting for all of Greece,

and are lobbying for reinforcements from other cities...

..in particular, from the most powerful of them all...

..Sparta.

..Sparta.

Unlike Athens, Sparta is not a democracy.

It's a warrior city,

ruled by a military aristocracy

that values strength over everything else.

that values strength over everything else.

- (shouts in other language)

NARRATOR: Of all the Greeks,

NARRATOR: Of all the Greeks,

the Spartans are the most feared on the battlefield.

Even before they had set off for Marathon,

the Athenians had sent a hemerodrome -

a running messenger - to ask the Spartans

a running messenger - to ask the Spartans

to support their fight against the invading Persians.

Herodotus gives the name of this courier: Pheidippides.

Herodotus gives the name of this courier: Pheidippides.

He doesn't mention how long it took Phidippides

to cover the 248 km

between Sparta and Athens.

between Sparta and Athens.

He simply states that it was a very short amount of time.

Yiannis Kouros is an ultra-marathon runner,

and holder of numerous records.

In 1983, he was the first

In 1983, he was the first

to repeat Pheidippides' journey,

running from Athens to Sparta

in under 22 hours.

- (speaking Greek)

- So what Pheidippides says is...

.."Send us, please, your soldiers,

"because Eritrea has been destroyed.

"And don't let another famous Greek city,

"Athens, be destroyed."

"Athens, be destroyed."

The Spartans said, "Look, we'll send out help,

"but it has to be after the full moon."

"but it has to be after the full moon."

And it was something like nine days.

It was nine or ten days afterwards.

NARRATOR: The Spartans need to wait for the full moon

NARRATOR: The Spartans need to wait for the full moon

because they are in the middle of celebrating the Carneia...

..a religious festival during which they are forbidden to fight.

..a religious festival during which they are forbidden to fight.

When Phidippides rejoins the Athenian army, however,

he does bring good news.

he does bring good news.

A god has appeared to him along the way,

and promised to support the Athenians.

- (speaking Greek)

NARRATOR: What the god Pan promised Pheidippides

was that he would sow disorder and confusion

in the ranks of the Persians.

in the ranks of the Persians.

This divine intervention is the origin of the English word...

panic,

from the Greek Panikos,

from the Greek Panikos,

literally "Pan's victory".

But in the meantime, the Spartans' response

divides the Athenian generals.

Those who want to wait feel justified.

Miltiades and those ready to attack

Miltiades and those ready to attack

worry that the delay is far too long.

Waiting for the Spartans would give the Persians

time to prepare for battle.

The Greeks' advantage would be forfeited.

The Greeks' advantage would be forfeited.

Miltiades then takes matters into his own hands.

He arranges for a meeting with Callimachus, the polemarch.

He arranges for a meeting with Callimachus, the polemarch.

- (Romain speaking French)

- That consultation took place here, up here.

The interesting thing is that Herodotus

The interesting thing is that Herodotus

doesn't review the plan.

He has Miltiades

convincing Callimachus...

convincing Callimachus...

so they should battle in order to save the city.

And by doing this, you become the most famous Greek.

And by doing this, you become the most famous Greek.

It's more rhetoric.

So it's not convincing in the sense,

"Look, my plan is to do this, this and that."

And then what Herodotus says...

And then what Herodotus says...

he convinced Callimachus.

NARRATOR: Miltiades is keen to get into the fight

as quickly as possible,

as quickly as possible,

because he's worked out a plan of attack.

A plan based on his deep knowledge of the terrain,

terrain that Artaphernes is not familiar with.

terrain that Artaphernes is not familiar with.

But if the Greeks wait too long, it will give Persian scouts

time to explore the landscape,

and Greeks' plan will fall apart.

and Greeks' plan will fall apart.

- He was a very good general, without any doubt.

Because when one visits marathon, you know where the swamps are,

Because when one visits marathon, you know where the swamps are,

you know where the difficulties are.

And he knew how to use

this background to be able

this background to be able

to win the Persians, who had no idea.

NARRATOR: What Artaphernes and the Persian leaders don't realise

NARRATOR: What Artaphernes and the Persian leaders don't realise

is that at the narrowest point of the passage to Athens,

just below the Greek camp, the ground is marshy.

just below the Greek camp, the ground is marshy.

And in late summer,

the marshy ground is covered in thick mud...

..an obstacle that renders horses...

..an obstacle that renders horses...

..the main advantage of the Persian army - useless.

CONSTANTINOS: The Persians were the first

CONSTANTINOS: The Persians were the first

to use successfully...

..the horses with archers.

..the horses with archers.

They had perfected

using the cavalry.

Throwing arrows, they used the cavalry

Throwing arrows, they used the cavalry

as the main attacking force

to bring shock to the opponents.

And then, the infantry followed,

and did all the cleaning up...

and secured the victory.

It's more or less an ancient case of the Blitzkrieg.

NARRATOR: Miltiades knows the Persian army's tendencies.

NARRATOR: Miltiades knows the Persian army's tendencies.

He knows that Artaphernes

would probably send his cavalry in first

to try to break through the Greek lines.

His answer to this is quite simple:

lure the Persian cavalry into the swamp,

and let them get bogged down in it.

Then, once the cavalry has been neutralised,

Then, once the cavalry has been neutralised,

attack the rest of Darius's army.

After he convinces Callimachus,

Miltiades takes command of the army...

..and puts his plan into action.

The plan begins with a ritual

that Herodotus does not describe,

but archaeological clues near the battle site

but archaeological clues near the battle site

hint at what took place.

CONSTANTINOS: This is a natural rock

that's been cast by a human hand.

that's been cast by a human hand.

And on the face of it,

we have an inscription with these letters.

we have an inscription with these letters.

This is an official inscription

from the Athenian state.

NARRATOR: This inscription, carved a century after the battle,

is a tribute to the Athenians who fell at Marathon.

The location of this memorial - in the middle of the countryside -

The location of this memorial - in the middle of the countryside -

may seem odd, but it is no coincidence.

CONSTANTINOS: We know that during battles in ancient Greece,

CONSTANTINOS: We know that during battles in ancient Greece,

there was a sacrifice for victory.

So, what they did was, they...

So, what they did was, they...

..did the sacrifice here on this rock,

as the soldiers were coming down like this.

They were not only in the footpath,

They were not only in the footpath,

they were coming, thousands of people.

And this is the most important place so that the soldiers can watch this.

This only took a few minutes.

This only took a few minutes.

ATHENAGORAS: The clearing at this point forms almost an amphitheatre,

from which the whole army can watch the sacrifice.

from which the whole army can watch the sacrifice.

We are all quiet, out of respect for the gods.

Only the cries of the lamb break the silence.

When it falls silent itself,

we know that Athena will not abandon us,

we know that Athena will not abandon us,

and we go into battle with our heads held high.

NARRATOR: Once the ritual has been completed,

and the Greeks are certain

that they have secured the protection of the gods,

they line up in formation to the north of the marsh,

at the narrowest point of the pass leading to Athens.

- (Vincent speaking French)

NARRATOR: The phalanx is the hoplites' secret weapon.

A compact, perfectly coordinated formation,

capable of withstanding the fiercest assaults.

- (Vincent speaking French)

(shouts in French)

(shouts in French)

ATHENAGORAS: The sound of shields clashing,

the pounding of the hoplites' footsteps on the ground,

marching to the rhythm of the songs of war.

marching to the rhythm of the songs of war.

It is sweet music to the ears of the gods.

There are 10,000 of us,

but our hearts beat as one.

but our hearts beat as one.

If we fall here, we will bring honour to the soil,

and the bards will sing of our exploits,

like those of Achilles and Odysseus.

like those of Achilles and Odysseus.

NARRATOR: The sounds of the hoplites forming their phalanxes

reach the Persian camp.

As they look Southward, they observe clouds of dust

rising up from the ground.

The Greeks are on the move.

The Greeks are on the move.

Artaphernes reacts immediately.

CONSTANTINOS: Of course, they lined up

as soon as they saw the Athenians forming their line,

as soon as they saw the Athenians forming their line,

because this was a matter...

..of probably one hour, two hours.

..of probably one hour, two hours.

We're not sure, but it was enough time

for the Persians to start forming their line.

NARRATOR: Herodotus doesn't give details

about the formation used by the Persian army at Marathon.

However, other ancient writings,

such as those of the Greek historian Xenophon,

reveal the tactics typically employed by the Persian armies.

reveal the tactics typically employed by the Persian armies.

Based on these sources, historians assume

that Artaphernes arranged his troops in the classical manner.

that Artaphernes arranged his troops in the classical manner.

- (Vincent speaking French)

NARRATOR: Opposite the Persians,

NARRATOR: Opposite the Persians,

Miltiades arranges his phalanxes in three groups,

which he then spreads across the entire width of the pass.

To achieve this, he divides the central group in two.

To achieve this, he divides the central group in two.

- (speaking French)

NARRATOR: This manoeuvre, which may seem simple,

actually requires precise coordination

between the men forming the phalanx.

between the men forming the phalanx.

At the time, only Greek hoplites were capable of executing it.

- (speaking other language)

NARRATOR: One reason the hoplites' manoeuvres are so effective...

is because military training is an integral part

is because military training is an integral part

of the education that all these citizen-soldiers

would have received from an early age.

- (speaking other language)

- (speaking other language)

NARRATOR: They regularly train at the gymnasium,

a space dedicated to sports and handling weapons.

a space dedicated to sports and handling weapons.

- (leader speaking other language)

NARRATOR: And it's also at the gymnasium where the teachings

of Plato and Aristotle are taught to the students.

This military spirit, deeply rooted in Greek culture,

did not develop by chance.

War was a part of city life.

War was a part of city life.

- (Vincent speaking French)

NARRATOR: Command of the right flank is entrusted to Callimachus,

who, according to tradition, stands among the hoplites,

who, according to tradition, stands among the hoplites,

in the front row, in the most exposed part of the phalanx.

On the other side, on the left flank,

On the other side, on the left flank,

stands the 1,000 Platanian fighters.

CONSTANTINOS: So they lined up in the centre.

Herodotus says that the centre was...

very weak, quite weak. The two edges were very strong.

And our theory is that the centre was formed

And our theory is that the centre was formed

with light-armed soldiers.

So the battle starts.

NARRATOR: According to Herodotus, as soon as they set their formation,

the Greeks go on the offensive.

the Greeks go on the offensive.

"The Athenians," he wrote, "unleashed on the Barbarians,

"charged them running, while remaining well-grouped."

This may sound improbable.

With their equipment weighing up to 20 kg,

how could the hoplites have covered such a distance -

how could the hoplites have covered such a distance -

roughly a kilometre and a half -

..at a running pace,

while maintaining their tight formation?

Vincent Torres has devised

an experiment with a phalanx of 32 men,

an experiment with a phalanx of 32 men,

equipped as the Athenian hoplites were

in the 5th century BCE.

- (leader shouts in other language)

- (leader shouts in other language)

NARRATOR: The results are clear.

After a few metres, the phalanx breaks up.

After a few metres, the phalanx breaks up.

But Vincent Torres wants to try the experiment another way.

- (speaking French)

- (leader shouts in other language)

- (leader shouts in other language)

NARRATOR: This time, the results are different.

The phalanx holds together,

and can lay into its opponent with all its might.

- (leader shouts in other language)

- (Vincent speaking French)

- (Vincent speaking French)

- (army shouting)

NARRATOR: Herodotus writes that when they see the hoplites

NARRATOR: Herodotus writes that when they see the hoplites

rushing towards them at full speed,

the Persians take them for madmen, and brace for impact.

But how? Herodotus doesn't say.

But it's doubtful that Artaphernes simply stood his ground,

waiting for the Greeks to crash into his troops at full speed.

waiting for the Greeks to crash into his troops at full speed.

CONSTANTINOS: We know that they start

marching slowly towards the Persians,

and the Persians advance.

and the Persians advance.

And then the horses start running in front.

And where do they aim? At the centre.

And where do they aim? At the centre.

NARRATOR: Herodotus is vague about how the battle unfolds from here.

He says that the fighting is fierce,

He says that the fighting is fierce,

and lasts a long time.

On the flanks, he says, the Greeks hold the upper hand,

while in the centre, the Persians drive the Athenians into the sea,

while in the centre, the Persians drive the Athenians into the sea,

and chase them from the shore.

Herodotus seems to suggest that the Persians attack

the centre of the Greek formation simply because it's weaker,

having been stretched out across the entire width of the plain.

having been stretched out across the entire width of the plain.

But Constantinos Lagos puts forward a different hypothesis.

According to his analysis of the events,

According to his analysis of the events,

this is all a part of Miltiades's plan.

- The centre breaks, but it breaks...

- The centre breaks, but it breaks...

because Miltiades has told them,

"You start running, you start running."

And where do they go? They go in the marsh.

So what the horsemen do

is what they are trained to do.

They find the hole.

They find the hole.

But the thing is, as soon as they go through,

suddenly the horses have problems.

NARRATOR: Bogged down in the muddy marsh,

NARRATOR: Bogged down in the muddy marsh,

the riders are now at the mercy of those they were pursuing.

But the hoplites and gymnoi show no interest in mercy.

They attack... and slaughter them.

They attack... and slaughter them.

Some archaeological remains support this reading of the story.

One example is this bas-relief depicting the Battle of Marathon,

on display at the Acropolis Museum in Athens.

It originally adorned the Temple of Athena Nike,

It originally adorned the Temple of Athena Nike,

built in the 5th century BCE

at the entrance to the Acropolis.

Persian fighters can be seen falling at the hands of the Greeks.

Persian fighters can be seen falling at the hands of the Greeks.

Here, a horse, attacked by a hoplite, ejects its rider.

Here, a gymnoi finishes off a Persian,

who's fallen to the ground.

But one of the most interesting details

But one of the most interesting details

is that the horses' hooves are obscured,

as if they are stuck in the ground,

in the soft mud of the marsh.

in the soft mud of the marsh.

CONSTANTINOS: The hoplites killed a lot of Persians,

but the main slaughter was by the light-armed.

Probably 15,000 Athenians.

Probably 15,000 Athenians.

Many were over here.

They were not part of the line. They were behind the line.

They were waiting. So the battle was a slaughter.

NARRATOR: While the Persian cavalry remains trapped in the marsh

at the mercy of the Greeks,

Miltiades's two flanks prepare to collide

with the wave of Persian infantrymen

advancing rapidly towards them.

advancing rapidly towards them.

These infantrymen think they are marching towards victory.

They had seen their horsemen break through the centre of the Greeks.

They had seen their horsemen break through the centre of the Greeks.

However, they were still blind to Miltiades's trap.

Herodotus describes what happens next.

Herodotus describes what happens next.

In his words, the Athenians put their two wings together.

Each wing, in fact, performs a complex rotation,

trapping the Persian forces between the jaws of a giant pincer.

trapping the Persian forces between the jaws of a giant pincer.

From anywhere within the jaws, the view is the same:

a wall of shields, bristling with spears closing in.

a wall of shields, bristling with spears closing in.

- (Vincent speaking French)

ATHENAGORAS: We strike the Persian ranks

like Hephaestus's hammer strikes his anvil.

like Hephaestus's hammer strikes his anvil.

These barbarians don't realise what hit them,

and they fall by the dozen under our blows.

They watched their horsemen cross our lines,

and they thought they were on the way to victory.

and they thought they were on the way to victory.

But our spears, driven through their hearts,

have taken them by surprise.

- How on earth could the Persians be surprised?

- How on earth could the Persians be surprised?

The solution is, you have the summer down here.

This is a field that's been scorched

by high temperatures for two or three months,

by high temperatures for two or three months,

and it's full of dust.

You have 1,000 horses rushing down in the plain.

You have 1,000 horses rushing down in the plain.

This will be covered with dust,

so they couldn't see.

And suddenly they're being slaughtered, massively,

And suddenly they're being slaughtered, massively,

by the hoplites on the two edges.

NARRATOR: Crushed by the hoplites and ill-equipped to withstand

a heavy infantry attack, the Persians disband.

The battle turns into a free-for-all,

The battle turns into a free-for-all,

and soon, a massacre.

Those who manage to escape the Greek onslaught

flee to their boats.

- Callimachus was at the very end of the right,

because that was his place as a polemarch.

because that was his place as a polemarch.

So Callimachus was in charge

of the part close to the beach.

And it seems that the Persians,

And it seems that the Persians,

some Persians, managed to escape from the beach.

NARRATOR: Confident that victory is at hand,

and watching the Persian fighters run for their lives,

and watching the Persian fighters run for their lives,

Callimachus - along with a few hundred hoplites - gives chase.

Instead of forming a tight phalanx, however,

Instead of forming a tight phalanx, however,

they spread across the beach. It's a fatal mistake.

Isolated from one another,

the Greek fighters are vulnerable to projectiles

the Greek fighters are vulnerable to projectiles

fired from the Persian fleet.

While a few Athenians manage to reach the ships,

Callimachus is shot dead by an archer.

Callimachus is shot dead by an archer.

While trying to board a galley,

Cynegirus, brother of the poet Aeschylus,

has his hand chopped off by an axe.

has his hand chopped off by an axe.

He later dies from his injury.

Herodotus writes that many other illustrious Athenians

Herodotus writes that many other illustrious Athenians

fall during the pursuit.

However, when the Greeks,

who now control the battlefield, count their dead,

who now control the battlefield, count their dead,

the numbers are surprisingly low.

- (speaking French)

NARRATOR: On the Persian side,

the results are nothing short of catastrophic.

the results are nothing short of catastrophic.

The Athenians seize seven galleys from Darius's fleet.

And the bodies of 6,600 soldiers

And the bodies of 6,600 soldiers

from the army of the King of Kings lay dead on the battlefield.

- This terrifying...

high amount of dead.

high amount of dead.

6,600 dead.

It's a crazy number.

This is out of proportion.

This is out of proportion.

It's one of the battles in ancient Greece

where you have many, many dead.

You can't have so many dead.

You can't have so many dead.

If the battle was fought

on the plain with the use of tactics,

this means that these people were slaughtered.

this means that these people were slaughtered.

They were entrapped,

and they were cut down.

NARRATOR: Legend has it that once the Persians

NARRATOR: Legend has it that once the Persians

had been driven into the sea, Miltiades sent a hemerodrome

to announce the victory to the Athenians,

and that the messenger collapsed from exhaustion

and that the messenger collapsed from exhaustion

once his mission was accomplished.

This legendary run would be

the inspiration for the modern marathon,

the inspiration for the modern marathon,

created when the Olympic Games were re-established

in Athens in 1896.

However, this messenger probably never existed.

However, this messenger probably never existed.

Herodotus makes no mention of him,

and his account of the aftermath of the battle is quite different.

and his account of the aftermath of the battle is quite different.

- (Romain speaking French)

NARRATOR: In fact, part of the Persian fleet

had already left before the end of the battle,

taking half their army towards Athens.

taking half their army towards Athens.

Leaving his dead behind, Miltiades orders the Athenians

to abandon their camp and march back to their city.

to abandon their camp and march back to their city.

Shouldering their weapons and baggage under a blazing sun,

it takes the Greek army just eight hours to cross the roughly 40 km

it takes the Greek army just eight hours to cross the roughly 40 km

that separates Marathon from the port of Athens.

ATHENAGORAS: When the Persian ships arrive in sight of the port,

ATHENAGORAS: When the Persian ships arrive in sight of the port,

we are in position, ready to re-form our phalanxes.

The barbarians are stunned!

They turn around and set sail for Asia.

They turn around and set sail for Asia.

NARRATOR: The Persian invasion is over... for now.

The decisive Athenian victory at Marathon

had far-reaching repercussions.

For the first time, the expanding Persian Empire

For the first time, the expanding Persian Empire

was defeated in its quest for land.

And, for the first time,

the citizens of a state ruled without a king

repelled a much more powerful invader.

CONSTANTINOS: Herodotus wants to present this

as a victory of the hoplites.

as a victory of the hoplites.

It is a victory of the hoplites, yes.

But the main victors are the poor guys

that fought in the marsh.

And that explains why immediately after the battle...

And that explains why immediately after the battle...

..even in 490, you have

these major changes in politics,

these major changes in politics,

where the power goes to the people.

- The Athenians were great

because each civilian

because each civilian

was so connected

to his or her city.

And, of course, that meant

And, of course, that meant

that they were ready to sacrifice everything

for their wonderful city,

and for the values of the city.

And this is why we really pay tribute

to the Battle of Marathon

to the Battle of Marathon

in almost every place,

because that changed the history.

It would have been totally different

It would have been totally different

if that hadn't happened.

And the Athenians built on it,

and that made classical civilisation possible.

and that made classical civilisation possible.

NARRATOR: Ten years after Marathon, Darius's son Xerxes

would return to avenge his father's defeat,

would return to avenge his father's defeat,

leading what was, up to that point,

the largest army ever assembled.

But this time, 30 city-states

But this time, 30 city-states

join forces to repel the invader.

And it's the Spartans who will be remembered for their bravery

at the battle of Thermopylae.

at the battle of Thermopylae.

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