Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1917-07-26

The great mower was overwhelmed, its '
forces shattered and Europe pre-
served in a single battle, that OF Mar
athon. fought 400 B. c. Had the
Athenians failed in this great fight
Europe would have been overrun Dy
the Modes and the Persians. Inc
course of the world would have been
turned into the hands of the Aslaucs.
Called upon suddenly to fight Tor
thei1 national existence, the men OF
Athens found themselves in posi-
ton singularly like that OF Amerl-
cans today. They had only uny
army and they had host OF law
makers to debate the manner in which
that army should be organized and di-
rected. While every free Greek was
compulsorily trained in military duty,
the muster roll of Athenian citizens Mt
for military duty never exceeded 81
600. 1t is estimated that at Marathon
the Greek forces numbered not more
than 11.OOO Against this the great
king. Darius sent a host OF IIO,Voo-
The odds seemed hopeless Yet the
IL 900 warriors of an aroused anu oes-
perate nation drove ton times tneir
number literally into the sea-
Darius. not unlike the Wilhelm OF
TODAY. had sent heralds to Greece,
declaring that he, 1.-The lord of all men
from the rising to the setting SUM-
required earth and water to be oell'-
cred to the heralds as symbol that ne
was head and master of the country.
| In large part Greece submitted Alh-
ems and Sparta hurled back defiance
and stoned the heralds in the market
place. Then they prepared to ngnt-
! The great Asiatic army, voyaglng
| in more than 1.50O vessels, was COLI
| manded by Datis, one OF the apiest
generals of antiquity. Fighting anu
winnin- easily one or two smaller en-
ora geTnents. this savage leader, making
| announcement that the entire popula-
| tion of Greece would be led into ASA
TO hear it's doom from the lips OF the
| great king. himself, finally landed on
| the eastern coast at Marathon Beh1nu
him were islands already conquered.
His palleys covered the beach ana tne
peiehboring seas. On the mountain De-
fore him were the 1000 Greeks, tnelr
ten generals and one war ruier' at
tempting to decide in council Wnetner
| If were better to attack, to retreat or
to wait for re-enforcements from spar
IA. Sparta had promised assistance
hut the Persians had landed on the
, sixth day of the moon, and relglous
. | scruples prevented the march OF the
!, Spartan troops until the moon shouio
!, have reached its full. There were paci-
fists. actuated by religious scrupies'
even in ancient Greece
The ten generals, elected. after the
, Greek custom, for one year each' di-
. vided equally. Five were for fight and
five were for delay. Upon the vote
, of the polemarch, or war ruler, one
Callimachus, hinged the decision. He
besitated even as the presidents and
congresses of modern times sometimes
hesitate.
Bnt among the five generals eager TO-
fight was Miltiades, man OF RECORD
none too savory and afterward to meet
s with more than a little of execration
but q military genius, man OF ner1
II if INSCRIPTIONS energy and a nentei
from his sandals to his crown Sait
}. this Miltiades (Herodotus sets dow
Ii his words):
IS ssIt now rests with you. Cain
S. machus, either to enslave Athens OF
n nv assuring her freedom, to win your
k self an Immortality of fame. NeVe
ID since ihe Athenians were peopl
t, were they in such danger. the
lie bow the knee to these Modes the
d. ore to be given up to Hippias, and 20
" know WHAT Uisll lHCohS' - w - =
re bring on a battle presently some fat
Of tious intrigue will disunite tn
is Athenians and the city will be betraye
&c TO the Modes. But if we fight befor
- there is anything rotten in the state
K Athens, 1 believe that, provided I'd
m gods will give fair PLAY and no favo
it. we are able to get the best OF 1t
On an engagement"
a Said Callimachus, slowly: wv
e fight
e. IT was the law that the Greek gel
as erals should take turns at army COZ
Nv mand day by day. Miltiades waite
ut for the day. 1t was also the custo
of for the warriors of each Greek trif
to to fight in a body under their own ge
go eral. Their line consisted wholly
ut, heavy armed spearmen bearing spea
&c shield and short sword, for the Greel
1t of that period set little store by high
! armed troops save for skirmishin
They usually advanced slowly al
I'D steadily into action in a unifor
IS phalanx about eight spears deep. r
NJ Marathon. however, Mildades, WI
q; had no idea of permitting himself
I'd, HI. outfianked. Won Kluck fashion. al
Ny cut ND by the Persian horse. weaken
Cd his center to protect his wings Al
Oh take advantage of the inequalities
Use the ground Thus stood the Gre
So force, chanting hoarsely its war Sol
on C-,- - he Strike