The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-09-12
TODAY in HISTORY
The Battle of Marathon
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER IL, 1910.

on September u. 400 years before
| Christ. occurred the famous patue ol
| its name TO the battle was sltuateu
near a bay on the east coast. twenty
| two miles from Athens by one road aMna M
! twenty-six miles by another Inc .!, SI.5
| is said to have derived Its name from
the hero Marathon. This hero. accord :
ing TO ono account; was the son o.
been expelled from Peloponuesus by the
| violence OF his father. settled In AttiGa.
while. according to another account, nc
was an Arcadlan who took part in The
expedition OF the Tyndaridae against At
tlca and devoted himself to death oeiore
the battle.
Marathon is surrounded on three sides
by rock hills and rugged mountains on
the center of the plain near the city was
fought the battle between the Persians
and Athenians, the former numbering r.
more than 100. 900 men and the latter less
than 10000. The Athenans were com
manded by Mlltades. The Athenians Lost
l92 men and the Persians $500 the
Athenians who fell in the battle Is still
TO be seen.
The expedition which was sent by
Artaphernes The plain on which ,he
battle was fought Is about six miles long
by less than mile and a half IN
breadth. The Athenans waited for no
nearer approach of the enemy to their
city than their landing place, where they
met them, They had sent to Sparta for
aid; but a superstition delayed the march
Of the Spartans. and they arrived tho day
after the battle. or all the nearer
Greeks none came to the help OF Athens
In that hour OF extreme need. and SO
much the greater TO her was the glory
OF Marathon. The small body OF Athen-
lans confronted the great host OF Persia.
Miltiades ordered his army to draw itself
UP according to the ten tribes.
The troops had advanced with perfect
steadiness across the trenches and pals
adlngs OF their camp. but as soon as they
taice, of 5000 feet, they changed their
march TO double quick pace. which
gradually rose to the rapidity of a
charge, while at the same time they
raised the war cry with loud voice.
When the Perslans saw these men rush
Ing down from the heights they thought
they heheld madmen; they quickly, placed
before they had time for an orderly dis
charge. OF arrows. the Athenians were
upon them, ready, In their excitement to
In hand hand fight. which Is decided
by personal courage and gymnastic abil-
ity, by the momentum OF heavy armed
warriors and by the use OF lance and
Thus the wel-managed and bold at
tack OF the Athenians had succeeded in
bringing into play the whole capability
Of victory which belonged TO them. Yet
the result was not generally successful
The enemy's center stood firm, But
meantime both wings had thrown them
UPON tne enemy. and after they
had effected victorious advance, the
one on the way to Rhamnus the other
toward the coast Miltiadcs Issued orders
at the right moment for the wings tn
return from the pursuit and to make
combined attack upon the Persian CEN
Yer IN It's rear Hercupon the rout speed
ny became general. and In their flight
they were driven into the morasses and
there slain In large numbers
III was this battle that brought TO
prominence PhidipPdes and the future
marathon races. Phidippides was a
touilGr GO .l sent by the Athenians to Sparta
10 ask Tor aid against the PersIans, and
ne ne, ran the entire twenty four miles
When he reached Athens his strength
WAS Just enough TO carry him into the
presence OF the Archons. or elder states
mSp. rii,h. 10, TO deliver his message, and be died
Browning beautifully treats the legend il
MS dramatic idyl 'PheidIppides''
september II Is the date of the rails
ing OF the siege of Vienna in 1852: IN.
battie of Chapultepec. Mexico. In 1Sd7,
tW,2lEer' the filibuster, was court-mar
naled and shot by the Honduras govern-
ment in 1860. and the fugitive sIavo law
OF Francis ] of Franco (f4oD. Sir VII
nam nam Duedale: the English anriuua rian
Is9nl: Jean Philippi- Rameau, composer
= Ioo") Andrew Hull Foote naval Of |
licer dso6): Philip Francis Thomas Soc
rTGetary Of the treasury under Rmc,,nan nc,
C1S1o; Richard NJ Howe. printing nrnss
inventor t1Sl2l; Richard J. Gatljne pnn
inventor 1Sl$); Charles Dudley Warner
I@urnanst and author GS29), and the dato |
:, inc death OF Pope Innocent VI. 1l3s9I
Prussia Oslo, and Francois Pierre &c; Gui1l Gl
aume GuIzot French historian uura, an5
statesman Gs7D. ana