A T H 



No fooncr were the troops- afi-embicd^ than th^v marched 

 out oi tne city into the plain of JNIarstlion, where the inha- 

 bitants cf Platoea fent them a reinforcement of a thoufand 

 infantry. Scarcely were the two armies in fi?ht of each 

 other, before Miltiades propofed to attack the enemv • -^ri- 

 ftides, and fevcral of tlie commanders, warmly fnpported this 

 nieafure ; but the reft, tenifiedat the exceffive difproportion 

 ot the armies, were defirous of waiting for fuccour from 

 Lacedamonia. Opmicns being divided, thev had recourfe 

 to that of the fnclemarch, or chief of the militia, who was 

 confulted on fuch occafions to put an end to the equahtv of 

 fufFrages. Miltiades addreffd himfelf to him with the ar- 

 do\ir of a man deeply impreffed with the importance of pre- 

 fent circumftances : « Athens (faid he) is on the point of 

 experiencing the greatell of viciffitiides ; ready to become 

 the firft power of Greece, or the theatre of the tyranny and 

 fury of Hippias: from you alone, Callimachus, (he new 

 awaits her deftiny. If we fuffer the ardour of the troops 

 to cool, they will fliamefully bow beneath thePerfian roke; 

 but if we lead them on to battle, the gods and viftor)- will 

 favour us. A word from your mouth muft now precipitate 

 your country into flaverj-, or prefcrve her liberty." (See 

 Herodotus, 1. vi. c. 109.) Callimacbus gave his fuffrage, 

 and the battle was refolved. To enfure fuccefs, Ari- 

 ftidcs, and the other generals after his example, yi.-lded 

 to Miltiades the honour of the command which belonged 

 to them in rotation ; but, to fecnre them from every 

 hazard, he preferred waiting for the day which of rio-ht 

 placed him at the head of the arm.y. When that day arriv- 

 ed, Miltiades drew up his troops at the foot of a mountain, 

 on a fpot of ground fcattered over with trees, to impede the 

 Perfian cavalry. The Platasans were placed on the left 

 wing; Cailimachus commanded the right; Ariftides and 

 Themillocles were in the centre -of the battle, and Miltiades 

 ever^-where. ( See Herodotus, 1. vi. ) At the firft fignal, 

 the Greeks advanced over this fpace running. The "Pcr- 

 fians aftonilked at a mode of attack fo new to both nations, 

 for a moment remained motionlefs ; but to the impetuous 

 fuiT of the enemy, they foon oppofed a more fedate and not 

 lefs foi-midable fary. After an obftinate conflift of feme 

 hours, vidoiy began to declare herfelf in the two wings of 

 the Grecian army. The right difperfed the enemy in the 

 plain, while the left drove them back «n a morafs that had 

 thd appearance of a meadow, in which they ftuck faft and 

 were loft. Both thefe bodies of troops now flew to the fuc- 

 cour of Ariftides and Themiftocles, ready to give way to 

 the flower of the Perfian ti'oops, placed by Datis in the cen- 

 tre of his battle. From this moment the rout became ge- 

 neral. The Ptrfians, repulfed on all ildes, found their only 

 afylum in the fleet, which had approached the fliore. The 

 conquerors purfued them with fire and IVord, and took, 

 buiTit, or funk, the greater part of their veflels; the reft ef- 

 caped by dint of rowing. The baniiTied tyrant of Athens 

 fell in the engagem.ent ; two Athenian generals, and about 

 two hundred citizens, were found among the flain : the Per- 

 fians left fix thoufand of their beft troops in the fcene of 

 a^iion. The joy excited among the Athenians by a vifto- 

 ly, which not only delivered them from the dread of their 

 enemies, but raifed them to diftinguifhed pie-eminence 

 among their rivals and allies, is evident from a remarkable in- 

 cident which happened immediately after the battle. As 

 foon as fortune had viiibly declared in their favour, a foldier 

 was difpatched from the army to convey the welcome news 

 to the capital. He ran with incredible velocity, and ap- 

 peared, covered with duft and blood, in the prefcnce of the 

 fenators : excefs of fatigue confpired with the tranfports 

 of enthufiiiim to exhauft the vigour of his frame : he had 

 Vol. III. 



A T H 



only time to exclaim in two words, " Rejoice with the vie- 

 tors!" and immediately expired. The Athenians ncjrleded 

 nothing to eternize thofe who fell in the battle, Hi>nour- 

 able funerals were beftowtd on them ; their names were en- 

 gi-aven on half columns ereded on the plain of Marathon. 

 In the intervals between them were ercaed trophies bearing 

 the arms of the Perfians. An artift of eminence painted all 

 the circumftances of the battle in one of the moft frequented 

 porticoes of the city : Miltiades was ther« reprefcnted at 

 the head of the generals, and in the ad of exhortinT the 

 troops to fight for their country-. The highcft praifcs°were 

 beftowed upon Miltiades, and he was appointed commander 

 of an expedition againft the P;.rfian garrifons. The firft 

 operations of the Athenian ai-mamcnt were crowntd with 

 fuccefs. Several illands were fubdued, and confiderable 

 fums of money colletted. B;it the fleet arriving before Pa- 

 res, ever)- thing proved adverfe to tlic Athenians. The Pa- 

 rians made a verj- vigorous defence; their ftrength, however, 

 began to dechne, and they muft have been overpowered, but 

 for a fortunate accident. An extenfive grove, happening to 

 be let on fire in a neighbouring ifland, was believed by the 

 befiegers to indicate the approach of a Perfian fleet. 'The 

 fame opinion gained ground among the Parians, who deter- 

 m.ined by their utmoft cfl'orts to prcfervc the place until 

 they fhould be rcheved by the afliftance of their proteftors. 

 Miltiades had received a dangerous wound during the fiege; 

 and the weaknefs of his body impairing the faculties of his 

 mind, he gave orders to draw off his victorious troops, and 

 returned with the whole fleet to Athens. The Athenian 

 citizens, and particularly the more eminent and illuttrious, 

 had univerfally rivals and enemies. The competitfdrs for 

 civil olfices, or militaiy command, occafioned eternal animo- 

 fities am.ong thofe jealous republicans. Xantippus, a perfou 

 of great diftiiitlion, and father of the celebrated Pericles, 

 who, in the fucceeding age, obtained the firft rank in the 

 Athenian government, eagerly feizcd an opportunity ot df- 

 prefling the character of a man which had fo long furpaffed 

 that of every competitor. He was accuftfd of fuffering 

 himfelf to be corrupted by Perfian money, and notwith- 

 ftanding the fohcitations of the moft virtuous citizens, was 

 condemned to be thrown into the dungeon in which male- 

 fadors are left to ptrifh. The magifti-acy oppofing the 

 execution of this infam.ous decree, his puniftimeiit was com- 

 muted into a fine of fifty tideiits ; and as he was unable to 

 pay this fum, Atliens faw the vanquidier of Darius expire 

 in chains of the wounds he had received in the fervice of the 

 ftate. 



But the glorj' of Miltiades furvived him; and the Athe- 

 nians, however unjuft to his perfon, were not unmindful of 

 his fame. At the diftance of half a ccntur}-, when the 

 battle of Marathon was painted by order of the ftate, they 

 direded the figure of Miltiades to be placed in the fore 

 ground, animating the troops to \Mdory; a reward which. 

 Dr. Gillies obfer\'es, " during the virtuous fimplicity of 

 the ancient commonwealth, conferred more real honour 

 than all that magnificent profiifion of crowns and ftatucs, 

 which, in the later times of the republic, were rather ex- 

 torted by general fear, than beftowed by public admira- 

 tion." " Thejealoufies (continues the fame author), rcfeut- 

 ments, dangers, and calamities, which often Ettciid power 

 and pre-eminence, have never yet proved fufficient to deter 

 an ambitious mind from the purfuit cf greatnefs." The 

 rivals of Miltiades were animated by the glor)- of his eleva- 

 tion, not deprefled by the exampK- of his fall. His accufer, 

 Xantippus, though he had aded the pnncipal part in le- 

 monng this favourite of the people, was not deemed wortliy 

 to fuceeed to his power. 



D d Two 



