Miltiades
Miltiades | |
---|---|
Μιλτιάδης Κίμονος | |
Eponymous archon of Athens | |
In office 524 – 523 BC | |
Preceded by | Cleisthenes |
Succeeded by | Calliades |
Tyrant of Chersonese | |
In office 516 – 492 BC | |
Preceded by | Stesagoras |
Personal details | |
Born | 550 BC Athens |
Died | 489 BC (aged 60-61) Athens |
Spouse | Hegesipyle of Thrace |
Children | Cimon Elpinice Metiochus |
Awards | Statue of Nemesis by Pheidias |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Athens |
Rank | strategos |
Battles/wars | |
Miltiades (/mɪlˈtaɪəˌdiːz/; Greek: Μιλτιάδης Κίμωνος; c. 550 – 489 BC), also known as Miltiades the Younger, was a Greek Athenian citizen known mostly for his role in the Battle of Marathon, as well as for his downfall afterwards. He was the son of Cimon Coalemos, a renowned Olympic chariot-racer, and the father of Cimon, the noted Athenian statesman.
Family
Miltiades was a well-born Athenian, and considered himself a member of the
His family was prominent, due in good part to their success with
Miltiades was named after his father's maternal half-brother,
Miltiades's son
Tyrant of the Thracian Chersonese
Around 555 BC, Miltiades the Elder left
Miltiades the Elder was childless, so when he died around 520 BC,[7] his nephew, Miltiades the Younger's brother, Stesagoras, inherited the tyranny of the Chersonese. Four years later (516 BC), Stesagoras met his death by an axe to the head,[8] so the tyrant Hippias sent Miltiades the Younger to claim his brother's lands.[9] Stesagoras' reign had been tumultuous, full of war and revolt. Wishing to achieve stronger control over his lands than his brother had, Miltiades feigned mourning for his brother's death. When the men of rank from the Chersonese came to console him, he imprisoned them. He then ensured his power by employing 500 troops. He also made an alliance with King Olorus of Thrace by marrying his daughter, Hegesipyle.[10]
Persian vassal
In around 513 BC,
Return to Athens
The Ionian Revolt collapsed in 494 BC, and in 493 BC Miltiades and his family fled to Athens in five ships to escape a retaliatory Persian invasion.[n 1]
The Athens to which Miltiades returned was no longer a tyranny, but had overthrown the Peisistratids and become a
Battle of Marathon
Miltiades is often credited with devising the tactics that defeated the Persians at the Battle of Marathon.[19] Miltiades was elected to serve as one of the ten generals (strategoi) for 490 BC. In addition to the ten generals, there was one 'war-ruler' (polemarch), Callimachus, who had to decide—with the ten generals evenly split, five to five—whether to attack the Persians who had landed at Marathon under the command of Datis, or wait to fight them closer to Athens.[20]
Miltiades, the one with the most experience in fighting the Persians, was firm in insisting that the Persians be fought immediately, as a siege of Athens would lead to its destruction. He convinced Callimachus to use his decisive vote in favor of a swift attack.[21][n 2] He is quoted as saying "I believe that, provided the Gods will give fair play and no favour, we are able to get the best of it in the engagement."[21]
Miltiades also convinced the other generals of the necessity of not using the customary tactics of using
These tactics were successful in defeating the Persians, who then tried to sail around the
One theory for the Greek success in the battle is the lack of Persian cavalry. The theory is that the Persian cavalry left Marathon for an unspecified reason, and that the Greeks moved to take advantage of this by attacking. This theory is based on the absence of any mention of cavalry in Herodotus' account of the battle, and an entry in the Suda dictionary. The entry χωρὶς ἱππεῖς ("without cavalry") is explained thus:
The cavalry left. When Datis surrendered and was ready for retreat, the Ionians climbed the trees and gave the Athenians the signal that the cavalry had left. And when Miltiades realized that, he attacked and thus won. From there comes the above-mentioned quote, which is used when someone breaks ranks before battle.[28]
Expedition at Paros
The following year (489 BC), Miltiades led an Athenian expedition of seventy ships against the Greek-inhabited islands that were deemed to have supported the Persians. The expedition was not a success. His true motivations were to attack
Statue
Stoa Poikile
Aeschines writes that although Miltiades wanted his name to be written in the Stoa Poikile, the Athenians refused. Instead of writing his name they had him painted in the front rank, urging the soldiers.[32]
See also
- Mētiokhos kai Parthenopē
Notes
- ^ One ship, carrying his son Metiochos, was captured by the Persian fleet and Metiochos was made a lifelong prisoner, but was nonetheless treated honourably as a de facto member of the Persian nobility.[16]
- ^ In Herodotus's account, Miltiades is keen to attack the Persians (despite knowing that the Spartans are coming to aid the Athenians), but strangely, chooses to wait until his actual day of command to attack.[22]
- ^ At the Battle of Leuctra.[23]
References
- ^ a b Creasy (1880) pg. 9
- OCLC 264043716.
- ^ Plutarch "Lives" William and Joseph Neal edition, (1836), p.338
- OCLC 264043716.
- ^ Debra Hamel (2012) "Reading Herodotus: A Guided Tour Through the Wild Boars, Dancing Suitors, and Crazy Tyrants of 'The History'" JHU Press, p.182
- ^ C.W.J.Elliot and Malcolm F. McGregor (1960) "Kleisthenes: Eponymous Archon 525/4 BC" Phoenix, Vol 14, No. 1
- ^ Hamel (2012) ibid
- ^ Herodotus, lib vi. c. 38
- ^ Sara Forsdyke (2009) "Exile, Ostracism, and Democracy: The Politics of Expulsion in Ancient Greece" Princeton University Press p.123
- ^ Herodotus, lib vi. c. 39
- ISBN 9781612281599– via Google Books.
- ^ Burn, A. R. (1982). The Pelican History of Greece. London: Penguin. p. 160.
- ISBN 0-19-869117-3.
- ^ J.A.S. Evans (1963) "Notes on Miltiades' Capture of Lemnos" Classical Philology, Vol. 58, No. 3, pp.168-170
- ^ Creasy (1880) pg. 10
- ^ Herodotus, lib vi. c. 41
- ^ Herodotus, lib vi, c.104
- ^ Pausanias 3.12.7
- ^ Creasy (1880) pg. 11–20
- ^ Creasy (1880) pg. 11
- ^ a b Herodotus vi.109.
- ^ Herodotus VI, 110
- ^ Creasy (1880) pg. 380
- ^ a b Creasy (1880) pg. 23
- ^ Plutarch, Aristides, V
- ^ Herodotus VI, 111
- ^ a b Creasy (1880) pg. 26
- ^ Suda, entry Without cavalry
- ^ Chrysopoulos, Philip (2 June 2020). "The Awe-Inspiring Helmet of Legendary Ancient Greek Warrior Miltiades". Greek Reporter. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- ^ Creasy (1880) pg. 27
- ^ a b Creasy (1880) pg. 28
- ^ "Aeschines, Against Ctesiphon, section 186". www.perseus.tufts.edu.
Sources
- ISBN 1-60620-952-3.
- ISBN 0-19-869117-3.
- ISBN 0-19-282425-2.
- Strassler, Robert B. The Landmark Herodotus: The Histories. Anchor Books, 2009.
- Bengtson, Hermann. The Greeks and The Persians: From the Sixth Century to the Fourth Century. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1969.
External links
- 3D model of Testa Virile Elmata, identified as a portrait of Miltiades, via photogrammetric survey of a plaster cast of the Capitoline Museum's marble
- Photo essay of Miltiades helmet
- Miltiades by Jona Lendering, at livius.org
- Mitchell, John Malcolm (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 18 (11th ed.). pp. 479–480. .