Have you ever been curious about an unsolved mystery from the past? Well, I, Mark, invite you on a thrilling journey to uncover the secrets of the Battle of Marathon in this exclusive bonus feature on Patreon. We're shifting our focus to the Greeks' tactical approach on the battlefield and raising thought-provoking questions about the Persian cavalry, despite their presence in various historical accounts and works of art, they would failed to be mentioned during the unfolding battle at Marathon.
Join me as we shed light on one of the most intriguing puzzles that has been lingering for over 2,500 years. Let's investigate the evidence from the likes of Herodotus and other resources in our quest to locate the elusive Persian cavalry and comprehend their role in the battle. This episode is your ticket to understanding the intricacies of ancient warfare. With every revelation, we'll step back in time to unravel the mysteries of the Battle of Marathon. So, what are we waiting for? Let's embark on this exciting journey as history unfolds before us.
Hello everyone, mark here with a teaser of what's happening over on Patreon. Every month, a new bonus episode is released on Patreon for members to show my appreciation of the support they are extending to the show. These bonus episodes have allowed me to head back through the series, episodes where I take topics that were covered briefly and then explore them in a little more detail. These bonus episodes haven't taken anything away from my initial vision of the series, but have allowed me to supplement it with topics in isolation. This teaser is designed to give you an idea of the topics we cover and, if these bonus episodes would be of interest to yourself, the teaser for the latest release will remain on the normal feed for a month and then replace with the teaser of the next bonus episode to come out. If you are interested in supporting the series, please consider heading over to the Casting Thorentian Grease Patreon page where you can get access to these bonus episodes plus other benefits.
Speaker 1:
Hello everyone, and welcome back to another bonus episode here on Patreon where we are continuing our look at some of the questions that still hang over the Battle of Marathon. So far, we have explored the questions around the dispositions of the Athenians and the Persians on the day of battle at the Bay of Marathon. This saw us look at two of the most popular theories that have emerged, one seeking to explain events through the very limited account by Herodotus, taking what he says literally, while the other attempts to make more sense of the battlefield and take into the account the experienced nature of the Persian army in campaigning. In trying to answer this question, we also had the task of trying to locate the most likely position that both sides would have established their camps at, with our conclusions resting on what made sense from a geographical sense and taking into account the objectives of each side. After dealing with these questions, we then moved on to the questions surrounding the depth of Greek tactics on the battlefield. Had this tactical approach begun with the arrival of the Greeks at Marathon and their establishment of their camp? We then tried to look at how far this tactical outlook went, with us looking at how the Greek line was deployed. Were they merely attempting to match the length of the Persian line or were they looking to influence the direction that the battle would go in, while we would also try and understand the abnormal action of the Greek run towards the Persian line through a tactical lens.
Speaker 1:
In this episode we'll be turning to one of the biggest questions that has remained for the past 2,500 years when was the Persian cavalry? We know the Persians had travelled with a sizeable cavalry contingent and we would hear about them during the preparations for the campaign, as well as their actions at Eritrea. However, once a marathon, which we are told was chosen due to its ability to support the cavalry, there is no more mention of this arm of the Persian army. So let's see if we can try and get to the bottom of where the Persian cavalry was and what might have been happening with them. So for the first Persian campaign that would end with the Battle of Marathon, we have several references that indicate the Persians took a contingent of cavalry on campaign with them, these being from various written accounts as well as one depicted in art. I want to quickly outline some of the more obvious examples pointing to cavalry involvement from Herodotus' account. Then we will see some of the more subtle examples as we look at the various theories that look to explain where the cavalry may have been. Our first indication from Herodotus that cavalry accompanied the Persian army was before the campaign even set out. He would tell us that special transports were constructed that would carry the cavalry across the Aegean with the rest of the fleet. He would tell us that the naval fleet would meet up with the Persian land forces in Silesia, and this would be where the Persian horse would be located onto these specially constructed transports.
Speaker 1:
Herodotus' second reference to the Persian cavalry would then come once the campaign was well underway and the Persians had landed on Eritrea. Eritrea, along with Athens, had assisted the Onians in their revolt against the Persians by sending ships to provide forces. Persia would land in Eritrea to exact their revenge for daring to attack the Persian Empire. Once the Persian fleet landed on the coast, herodotus would tell us that the Persian cavalry were the first forces to be disembarked before operations began. The third reference to Persian cavalry involvement would come after the Persians had become masters of Eritrea. This would not be a direct reference to the cavalry themselves, but would point out the reason behind why Marathon Bay was chosen as the place where the Persians would land for their attack on Athens. It would be pointed out that it was the most suitable place in Attica to operate cavalry, from, the assumption here being that the fleet had cavalry to disembark for their attack on Athens. However, with this reference at Marathon being a suitable location for cavalry. We then hear nothing more of them once Herodotus begins his account of the events that would develop around the battle and during it.
Speaker 1:
The mystery of where the Persian cavalry was during the battle of Marathon has remained one of the biggest questions to still exist around the battle. These references given by Herodotus leading up to the battle and then not mentioning them again, have led to many to believe that, once the battle took place, the Persian cavalry was absent. But for what reason has remained up for debate, though, as we will see, one theory we will explore will have the Persian cavalry among the Persian battle line. The other theories that we will deal with are the most popular that have put forward, and we will look at each one in turn. These include the cavalry remaining on Eritrea, the cavalry being rested in the Persian rear and the cavalry being loaded onto the ships. So let's look at each of these in a bit more detail.
Speaker 1:
Well, I hope you enjoyed that taste of what's happening over on Patreon. If you would like to support the series, please consider heading over to Patreon, where you can gain access to the full version of this episode, plus many more. Alternatively, you can head to the Castings through Ancient Greece website and click on the Support the Series button, where you can discover many ways to extend your support to the show. Thank you everyone for listening to the series and I hope you continue to enjoy what is to come in the future you, you, you, you, you you.