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Book Review
Marathon 490 B.C
Marathon 490 B.C - Athens crushes the Persian Might |  |
by: Engin Kayral [ ]
Second book of the new series from Squadron Signal Publications in cooperation with Periscopio Publications about Persian invasion in Greek Peninsula and Eastern Aegean.
introduction
The Battle of Marathon is a landmark in world history. Through their victory, the Athenian and Plataean hoplites did not merely save their cities from destruction, but they also destroyed the myth of the 'invincibility' of the Persians and proved the superiority of their armor, weaponry and tactics. More significantly, they opened the way for the unhindered evolution of Athens into a center of a civilization whose virtues and ideals became foundations of Western civilization. Reveals the causes of the Persian invasion, follows the unknown Marathon runner in his run to announce the victory and relates the captivating myths created by the historical battle that still remain a part of the oral tradition of this epic.
The book Marathon 490 BC – Athens crushes the Persian Might is from Squadron/Signal Publications.The book is made by Periscopio Publications-Greece for Squadron ,written in Greek and expertly translated to English.
book-basics
The book is written by Nikos Giannopoulos, Dimitris Belezos, Kyriakos Grigoropoulos and Ioannis Kotoulas, uniform research and reconstructions by Christos Giannopoulos, and other illustrations by Romilos Fronimidis and maps by Dimitra Mitsou. Text is clear, simple and easy to understand. Illustrations are excellent in nice details.
Paperback
104 pages
27 black/white photos
21 color photos
8 colorplates with explanatory text for Greek and Persian warriors of Marathon
10 maps, battle orders and battleplans for Battle of Marathon
book-in detail
The book starts with a Preface written by Editor Nikos Giannopoulos. It contains eight main chapters divided into subtitles to make the reader understand easier. A bibliography and a glossary part are added at the end of the book. The chapters are ;
Political and military organization of Athens : This chapter explains the 10 tribes, their military roles and most important govermental organs like Public Assembly-Ecclesia of Deme and Council of 500-Vouli .
The Ionian Revolt : The efforts by the Greek cities of the Eastern Aegean to break free of Persian rule resulted in a fierce clash on both land and sea in which the Persain and Greek militray forces were tested hard for the first time. The Persian final victory was due primarily to organizational problems and lack of cooperation among the Greeks, leading Persian king Darius, to falsely assess his peospects of victory ina future invasion of Greece.
Marathon 490 B.C : The chapters explains the Battle of Marathon in all details from the beginning where Athenians decided to fight the city waiting for the arrival of Spartan assistance till the Greek victory. The phases of ground battle and naval battle are described in battle plans.
A historical interpretation of the Athenian victory : The battle of marathon was not merely a military confrontation of two opponents, but rather a decisive battle between two distinct worlds and civilizations. This chapter discusses the effects of Greek victory in long term.
The announcement of victory : When the Athenians heard of the Persian landings at Marathon, they sent the runner Pheidippides to ask the Lacedaemonians for help. He covered the distance fro Athens to Sparta in 2 days. After receiving the answer, he began his return to Athens immediately. Following the delivery of message, he went to Marathon and took part in fighting. Once the battle had ended, he collected his weapons, still wearing his armor, wounded as he was, he ran to tell the momentous news to his anxiously waiting fellow citizens. On arrival, the only word he was able to utter before falling dead from exhaustion was ‘We obtained the victory.’
The Greeks and Persians at Marathon : This chapter gives brief information about the characteristics and fighting spirit of both sides.
Lesser-known details : The most interesting part of the book which gives some very interesting details about the battle.
Bibliography : A bibliography including 67 resources is included for the readers who wants more information about the subject.
Glossary : 5 page glossary that covers most of the terms that may be unfamiliar to the reader is added in alphabetical order to the end of the book.
conclusion
The book is very informative, fastidiously prepared and well presented. Besides giving excellent historical information about the battle of Marathon to all readers, it is a very good painting reference for the figure painters with lots of high- quality color drawings of the both sides of the battle; Greeks and Persians.
Very Highly Recommended
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