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There were not many manmade defenses that protected the Minoans. Their island is full of mountains and show tectonic movement natural occurring coves were sheltered by the mountains helping to better shied the Minoans. However they built their first settlements were built on tops of hills or with other geographically protective landforms. When the Minoans did make defensive positions they were multifunctional and were only when the people felt threatened by war. They only portray weaponry in art when it is a ritual to have the weapons there that were more tools than weapons. Archaeologists have found that the Minoans could make swords and when they did they were the finest of all the counties and empires of the Aegean’s; of the other weapons that might be theirs they are built on a hilt that would render them inoperable as weapons.

http://www.answers.com/topic/minoan-civilization

When the Persians began to attack the Ionians the Athenians sent 10,000 troops to help them. After the Persians won the battle, Persia set out to destroy Athens. The two armies met on Marathon plain. The Battle of Marathon was fought between the Persians and the Athenians. The Athenians were greatly outnumbered by the Persian army and had asked for help from the Spartans, but they were having a festival praising one of the Gods and so then they could not send help until the next full moon. The Persians army was based on archers and cavalry to support them, while the Athenian army was based on foot soldiers armed with spears and short swords. The Athenians were assisted by the Plataians and defeated the Persians, after learning from deserters that the cavalry were not present in the army. The Athenians under the command of Miltiades went out with two wings and a center the better soldiers were in the wings while the newer ones were in the middle, the opposite of the Persians. After the wings defeated the conscripts of the Persian army they collapsed on the rear of the rest of the Persians. The Persians fled to their ships seven of them were captured the remainder quickly sailed trying to beat the Athenians back to their city. Miltiades called upon one of the soldiers named Phidippides to run back to Athens and tell them that they had won and to make the city appear to be heavily defended. Phidippides delivered the message, but after a day’s worth of fighting and running 26 miles in three hours he died of exhaustion on the steps of the city after giving the word to the citizens.

http://www.thenagain.info/WebChron/Mediterranean/Marathon.html http://www.thenagain.info/Classes/Sources/Herodotus-Marathon.html http://joseph_berrigan.tripod.com/ancientbabylon/id27.html

The primary source talks about when the Persians landed at Marathon and the once leader of Athens, Hippias, had a dream where he was in his mother’s arms and he saw that as his return to power. However when the Persians land he loses a tooth and cannot find it in the sand he then ties it to his dream saying we cannot control the land and but we can use it. It talks about when the Athenians are on the battle field and the generals are divided on what they should do attack or defend. They were having a hard time because the Persians had cavalry and with that they could out maneuver the Athenians and hit them from the flanks. One of the Generals Medes seeks out the Polemarch who is able to sit in and vote at the meetings of the generals but is not a general, he does lead the right wing of the army. The Polemarch gives his vote with those who want to attack so the Athenians then could launch their attack. http://www.thenagain.info/Classes/Sources/Herodotus-Marathon.html

[|Miltiades] was born in Athens where he grew up he became a general in the Athenian army and had lived in several different places. He was a tactical genius behind the Athenians victory at the [|Battle of Marathon]. Later in the war against Persia he being in charge of the Athenians fleet was besieging a town called [|Paros] he saw a fire shoot up from the main land, thinking it was a symbol he retreated back to Athens. After returning he was put on [|trial] and accused of working with the Persians and calling off the siege. He was ill from the wounds he received in battle and his defense fell upon his brother [|Stesagoras] he was found guilty and went to jail where he died from his wounds.