other generals who favored this action gave up to
Miltiades their days of command, making him sole leader for that length
of time. Herodotus says that he refused to fight till his own day came
regularly round,--but we can scarcely believe that a general of his
ability would risk defeat on such a childish point of honor. If so, he
should have been a Spartan, and waited for the passing of the full moon.

To Marathon, then, the men of Athens marched, and from its surrounding
hills looked down on the great Persian army that lay encamped beneath,
and on the fleet which seemed to fill the sea. Of those brave men there
were no more than ten thousand. And from all Greece but one small band
came to join them, a thousand men from the little town of Plataea. The
numbers of the foe we do not know. They may have been two hundred
thousand in all, though how many of these landed and took part in the
battle no one can tell. Doubtless they outnumbered the Athenians more
than ten to one.

Far along the plain stretched the lines of the Persians, with their
fleet behind them, extended along the beach. On the high ground in the
rear were marshalled the Greeks, spread out so long that their line was
perilously thin. The space of a mile separated the two armies.

And now, at the command of Miltiades, the valiant Athenians crossed this
dividing space at a full run, sounding their paean or war-cry as they
advanced. Miltiades was bent on coming to close quarters at once, so as
to prevent the enemy from getting their bowmen and cavalry at work.

The Persians, on seeing this seeming handful of men, without archers or
horsemen, advancing at a run upon their great array, deemed at first
that the Greeks had gone mad and were rushing wildly to destruction. The
ringing war-cry astounded them,--a Greek paean was new music to their
ears. And when the hoplites of Athens and Plataea broke upon their ranks,
thrusting and hewing with spear and sword, and with the strength gained
from exercises in the gymnasium, dread of these courageous and furious
warriors filled their souls. On both wings the Persian lines broke and
fled for their ships. But in the centre, where Datis had placed his best
men, and where the Athenian line was thinnest, the Greeks, breathless
from their long run, were broken and driven back. Seeing this, Miltiades
brought up his victorious wings, attacked the centre with his entire
force, and soon had the whole Persian army in full flight f