Why did the Battle of Marathon change the world so considerably? How did the battle itself unfold? And, could the Athenians really triumph over the indomitable Persian Empire…? Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the terrible Battle of Marathon, and its aftermath. Join The Rest Is History Club: Unlock the full experience of the show – with exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to every series and live show tickets, a members-only newsletter, discounted books from the show, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at . Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Social channels: https://www.instagram.com/theresthistory/ https://www.tiktok.com/@theresthistory https://x.com/TheRestHistory https://bsky.app/profile/theresthistory.bsky.social https://www.threads.com/@theresthistory Lloyds. 250 years on and still backing the nation's aspirations. Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton Social Producer: Harry Balden Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude Senior Producer: Callum Hill Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Chief Digital Officer: Sam Oakley 0:00 Intro 0:39 Lloyds 2:11 Why Marathon Became One of History’s Most Celebrated Battles 6:13 Darius, the Persian Expedition, and the Road to Marathon 9:08 Why the Athenians Couldn’t Simply Hide Behind Their Walls 11:56 The Beacon Is Lit: Athens Learns the Persians Have Landed 13:03 Miltiades’ Plan to Block the Persian Advance 15:41 The Athenians Reach the Heights Above Marathon 17:38 The Stalemate — and Plataea Comes to Athens’ Aid 19:15 Will Sparta Come to the Rescue? 20:45 Phidippides Reaches Sparta 22:47 Phidippides Meets the God Pan 24:21 The Spartans Are Delayed — but the Persians Have a Problem 26:16 The Persians Make Their Move in the Night 27:23 The Cavalry Have Left 29:27 Miltiades Argues for a Daring Attack 32:39 The Athenians Prepare for Battle 34:47 Miltiades Stretches the Athenian Line 35:56 The Athenians Advance Down the Slope 38:19 The Athenians Crash Into the Persian Lines 39:43 Panic Spreads Through the Persian Army 40:33 The Fight Reaches the Persian Ships 42:10 The Persian Fleet Escapes — and Athens Is Still in Danger 43:41 The Legend of Phidippides and the First Marathon 44:22 The Athenians Race Back to Save Their City 45:13 The Spartans Arrive Too Late 47:01 How Did the Persians See Marathon? 48:37 Darius Shows Mercy to the Eretrian Captives 50:07 The Athenian Dead and the Memory of Marathon 51:25 The Greeks Learn the Persians Can Be Beaten 52:21 Why Marathon Still Mattered When Persia Returned 54:43 Was Marathon Really West vs East? 56:03 Athens Becomes an Empire Too 57:08 Would Greece Have Been Better Under Persia? 58:17 The Glory and Heroism of Marathon 59:08 Persian Fire, Herodotus, and What’s Next on The Rest Is History