Battle of Marathon
The Battle of Marathon (Greek:Μάχη τοῡ Μαραθῶνος) was a battle near Marathon, Greece, waged in 490 BC. King Darius I of Persian was infuriated by the revolt of the Greek city-states in the Ionian Revolt, and brought his army to the plains of Marathon to invade Athens, which had encouraged the revolt. The Athenians were outnumbered ten to one by the Persians, so they sent an athlete named Philippides to run for help to Sparta, 150 mile away. Ironically, the Spartans—with their military-obsessed society—refused to come, but not until after the completion of their religious festival. Athens proved strong enough to defeat the mighty Persians on her own and won a staggering victory on the plains of Marathon losing 192 men to losses of 6,400 for the Persians. The Spartans arrived the next day and learned to their chagrin that they had missed the fight.
Sources
Encyclopedia of Military History, Dupuy & Dupuy, 1979