Miltiades

Miltiades (c. 554 – 489 BC) was an Athenian citizen and general, best known for his role in the Battle of Marathon during the First Persian Invasion of Greece. He was the son of Cimon Coalemos, an Olympic chariot racer, and a member of the Philaidae clan, a powerful and influential Athenian family.

Miltiades initially ruled as a tyrant in the Thracian Chersonese (modern Gallipoli) under Persian suzerainty. He inherited this position from his uncle, Miltiades the Elder. He strategically sided with the Persians during the Ionian Revolt against Darius I, but later fled to Athens around 493 BC to escape Persian retribution after the revolt's failure.

In Athens, Miltiades was elected as one of the ten generals (strategoi) for the year 490 BC. When the Persians landed at Marathon, he persuaded the other generals to engage the enemy. Though supreme command rotated amongst the generals, Miltiades convinced his colleagues to cede command to him for the crucial day of battle.

At the Battle of Marathon, Miltiades employed a tactical formation that weakened the center of the Athenian line while strengthening the flanks. This maneuver allowed the Athenians to envelope and decisively defeat the larger Persian army. The victory at Marathon was a major turning point in the Greco-Persian Wars, demonstrating that the Persians were not invincible.

After Marathon, Miltiades led a naval expedition to the island of Paros, intending to punish them for supporting the Persians. However, the campaign was unsuccessful, and Miltiades returned to Athens wounded. His failure, combined with the accusations of bribery and tyrannical ambitions, led to his impeachment. He was heavily fined, but unable to pay, he was imprisoned. He died in prison shortly afterward from his wounds, attributed to gangrene.

Miltiades' legacy rests primarily on his leadership at Marathon. He is remembered as a brilliant military strategist and a key figure in the early resistance against Persian expansion. His victory secured Athens' survival and allowed for the subsequent development of Athenian democracy and culture.