Regarding the Battle of Marathon from Herodotus The Histories in Book 6:
When the presidency came round to him, he arrayed the Athenians for battle, with the polemarch Callimachus commanding the right wing, since it was then the Athenian custom for the polemarch to hold the right wing. He led, and the other tribes were numbered out in succession next to each other.46 The Plataeans were marshalled last, holding the left wing. [2] Ever since that battle, when the Athenians are conducting sacrifices at the festivals every fourth year,47 the Athenian herald prays for good things for the Athenians and Plataeans together. [3] As the Athenians were marshalled at Marathon, it happened that their line of battle was as long as the line of the Medes. The center, where the line was weakest, was only a few ranks deep, but each wing was strong in numbers. 112.
When they had been set in order and the sacrifices were favorable, the Athenians were sent forth and charged the foreigners at a run. The space between the armies was no less than eight stadia. [2] The Persians saw them running to attack and prepared to receive them, thinking the Athenians absolutely crazy, since they saw how few of them there were and that they ran up so fast without either cavalry or archers. [3] So the foreigners imagined, but when the Athenians all together fell upon the foreigners they fought in a way worthy of record. These are the first Hellenes whom we know of to use running against the enemy. They are also the first to endure looking at Median dress and men wearing it, for up until then just hearing the name of the Medes caused the Hellenes to panic. 113.
They fought a long time at Marathon. In the center of the line the foreigners prevailed, where the Persians and Sacae were arrayed. The foreigners prevailed there and broke through in pursuit inland, but on each wing the Athenians and Plataeans prevailed. [2] In victory they let the routed foreigners flee, and brought the wings together to fight those who had broken through the center. The Athenians prevailed, then followed the fleeing Persians and struck them down. When they reached the sea they demanded fire and laid hold of the Persian ships. 114.
In this labor Callimachus the polemarch was slain, a brave man, and of the generals Stesilaus son of Thrasylaus died. Cynegirus48 son of Euphorion fell there, his hand cut off with an ax as he grabbed a ship's figurehead. Many other famous Athenians also fell there. 115.
In this way the Athenians overpowered seven ships. The foreigners pushed off with the rest, picked up the Eretrian slaves from the island where they had left them, and sailed around Sunium hoping to reach the city before the Athenians. There was an accusation at Athens that they devised this by a plan of the Alcmaeonidae, who were said to have arranged to hold up a shield as a signal once the Persians were in their ships. 116.
They sailed around Sunium, but the Athenians marched back to defend the city as fast as their feet could carry them and got there ahead of the foreigners. Coming from the sacred precinct of Heracles in Marathon, they pitched camp in the sacred precinct of Heracles in Cynosarges. The foreigners lay at anchor off Phalerum, the Athenian naval port at that time. After riding anchor there, they sailed their ships back to Asia. 117.
Scenario
In Men of Bronze there will be a section on historical battles. Of course, the Battle of Marathon must be present. One of the challenges of creating a wargame is that you want to set-up the battle as it initially happened, but still allow the players to play their own game. Therefore, the following scenario is an attempt to capture the key participants and objectives of the battle, but allow the players to dictate the deployment and strategy for the game.
The Persians were attempting to break-out of the plains near the beach and head inland into Attica. The Athenians were trying to halt this break-out and repel them. To represent this, the Athenian side of the battlefield will have two passes that lead inland. The Greek force will be able to deploy anywhere in front of those passes. The Persians on the other hand have their back to the sea and can deploy anywhere on that side of the table.
The Forces
Again, it is challenging to completely recreate the deployment of the forces and still give the players the ability to change it up. To be fair, we also know very little about the Persian force except that it had archers and lacked cavalry. We also know that the Persians outnumbered the Greeks to such an extent that they had to stretch their Phalanx width by reducing the depth, which cost them the fight in the center.
Greeks
1 Drilled Athenian Hoplites
1 Militia Athenian Hoplites
1 Militia Plataean Hoplites
Persians
3 Archer Units
1 Drilled Infantry Unit
1 Warband Unit
This is equal points in the system and should prove an interesting game.
Deployment
Unlike the actual battle, the Greeks decide to place their Drilled Hoplites in the center in Phalanx. In front of both passes is a Greek Militia Phalanx in formation and ready to fight. It is critical that the Persian units do not get behind them and out of the either of the passes behind the Greek line.
The Persian deployment is to have the Archers on their left screen the Warband infantry behind them. Then the center is the Drilled infantry, which is flanked on the right by another Archer unit. Their forces are unequal to the Phalanxes in close combat, but they outmatch them in ranged firepower. In addition, the Persians will also have the advantage in Arête Points.
Will we see a repeat of history with the Greeks victorious, or will the Persians manage to force their way ashore? Let’s find out!
https://bloodandspectacles.blogspot.com/2017/12/men-of-bronze-battle-report-marathon.html
