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Old 06-19-2006, 09:01 AM   #10 (permalink)
sparten
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Originally Posted by Maximus
Well I have not read Herodotus so I don't know.

What forced the Persians to retreat? Probably the fact that Greeks were winning?

The link you provided does state that Greeks did attack the Persians from 3 sides, front & flanks. The only point of difference seems to be the number of Persian casualities.

I am still wondering why Persians retreated? It is known that they planned to march on Athens in 2 days, which they couldn't because shores were blocked by the Greek army.
Per Persian Sources the Persian war aim was not to conquer Grecee, (in 490 BC) but to capture the Islands, so as to creat a buffer between the mainland and the Ionia, a task in which the succeeded. Subduing and capturing Athens was a secondry aim, "almost an after thought per one historian". Fun fact, after marathon, the Greeks tried (and failed) to retake the Islands, and the victor of Marathon, Miltiades was killed.
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