Identifier: storyofancientna00west (find matches)
Title: The story of the ancient nations : a text-book for high schools
Year: 1912 (1910s)
Authors: Westermann, William Linn, 1873-1954
Subjects: History, Ancient
Publisher: New York : London : D. Appleton and Company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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aced in front. The remaining protectivearmor consisted of a helmet of bronze and a largeshield. The helmet had cheek-pieces, which could beremoved, and sometimes a metal strip to guard thenose. 164. The Battle of Marathon, 490 B. C—The historianHerodotus1 tells us how the Athenian hoplite force was drawnup on the day of the battle by their leading general, Miltia-des, in three divisions, left, center, and right. He says thatfrom tht^ir position facing the sea the Athenians ran down-hill, for the distance of a mile, and drove the Persians backby the fury of their onslaught. Common sense tellsus that he has exaggerated the distance they ran, elsethey would have been exhausted before they met thePersians. ^he story of the Persian Wars was written by a Greek named Herodo-tus, between 430 and 420 b. c. Fortunately we have his history inits entirety. He writes in a simple and interesting fashion, and lovesto tell stories as he goes along, such as the one quoted above about Cyrusthe Great.
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THE WESTWARD EXPANSION OF PERSIA 127 Herodotus pays this tribute to the Athenian courage:They were the first Greeks that I know of who ran to attackan enemy. They were the first also who endured the sight ofthe Median (Persian) dress and the men who wore it. For upto that time even the name of the Medes was, to the Hellenes, athing fearful to hear. This, too, is an exaggeration on the part of Herodotus, butit shows how the reputation of the Athenians rose becauseof the victory which they won over the army of Persia uponthat day. The battle of Marathon was to the Persians, inview of their limitless resources, but a skirmish; but itsmoral effect upon the Greeks was great, since they had seenhow fearlessly the Athenians attacked a superior force ofthe dreaded Persians. 165. Themistocles and the Making of the Navy.—Thegenerals of Darius sailed back to Asia with their troops.Both the Greeks and the Persians understood that the honorof Persia now demanded the conquest of Greece. Theyknew

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