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The Persians did not flee to their ships. They were embarking their cavalry to be shipped around to Athens to capture the city while the Athenian army was at Marathon - traitors were to open the gates of the city for them.

When the Athenian and allied Plataean armies, which were awaiting the arrival of reinforcements from Sparta and lurking in the hills where the Persian cavalry couldn't get at them, saw the cavalry being embarked, they ran down and defeated the inferior Persian infantry, now unprotected by its cavalry. The embarked Persian cavalry went off around the coast to Athens.

Having defeated the Persian infantry, the Athenians realised where the cavalry was headed, and all 18,000 ran back the 26 miles over the hills to Athens, arriving just in time to form up in front of the city as the Persian cavalry was being disembarked. The cavalry, frustrated, went home.

So it was the whole Athenian army which ran the first 'marathon', giving rise to today's marathon races. The difference is that, unlike our pampered athletes of today, they ran carrying shields, armour and weapons, in sandals. But then, they had the incentive of saving their families and homes.

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Q: Why did Persians flee to ships at Marathon?
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Did the Persians defeat the people when they were at Marathon?

At the battle of Marathon 490 BCE the Athenians defeated the Persians.


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