After suppressing the Ionian Revolt in Anatolia, the Persian King Darius sent an invasion force to punish the Greek states of Athens and Eretria for supporting the rebels and for burning down the administrative capital at Sardis.
In early-September 490 BC, the Persian fleet of 600 ships arrived in the Bay of Marathon near Athens, and began to disembark at Schoinias beach. According to Herodotus, the site had been chosen by Hippias, former ‘tyrant’ of Athens who had fled to the Persian empire after being overthrown by Kleomenes of Sparta c. 510 BC. He identified Marathon as a safe area for the Persians to make effective use of their cavalry and camp near a fresh water source. Hoping to reestablish his rule, Hippias may have encouraged Darius to launch an invasion of Athens in the first place. While supervising the Persian troops, the elderly Hippias is said to have coughed out a tooth that he could not find in the sand, taking it as an omen that he would not return to Athens.
He is shown here directing the Persian commander Datis, who was most likely a satrap (governor) of Media in northwest Iran. His high status is indicated by the gold neck-torc, bracelets, and akinakes dagger. Draped over his shoulders is a purple kandys coat, also worn by Persian nobles.
He is accompanied by two arstibara spear-bearers, one wearing an iron scale cuirass and the other wearing light quilted armour.
The background shows the Persian triremes, sheltered from northeast winds by the Kynosoura peninsula. The fleet would have been anchored many ships deep and stretched out along Schoinias beach.
By Ibrahim Zamir
Empire of History 