IVIAIVATHON (Lat., from Uk. MapaOthv). Anciently a small town on the eastern coast of Attica, about twenty miles northeast of Athens. The modern village lies at the point where a valley opens into the plain of Marathon, which is surrounded by a semicircular range of moun tains on the north, west. and south, while on the east it is washed by the Bay of Maraththi. South of the valley of Marathon is another valley. in which is the little village' of Vrana, 'probably the site of the ancient town, while from the southern extremity of the plain, between the sea and the mountains. a road leads by a circuitous route between Mounts Pentelieus and Hymettus into the Attie plain. .\ long with three other towns Mar atlimi belonged to the Tetrapolis, which claimed a very early legendary origin and independent ex istence until the time of Theseus. It is clear that the league continued to exist for religious purposes until at least the fourth century 11.e., and probably for at longer time. The plain of is especially famous RS tile :WNW of the decisive battle in whieh liltia(les led the nians and Plat:vans to victory over the army of Darius tinder the C11111111:11111 of Datis and Arta pliernes in B.C. 490. The details of the battle are not easy to determine. as the ancient accounts are confused. It is probable that the .\ thenians occu
pied the valley of Vrana, and attacked the Per sians either whoa they were preparing 10 re embark or to execute a turning movement by the toad to the south. The (reek force seems to have numbered about 10.000, of whom 192 fell. The minib(•rs (if the Persians are unl:nown, but the traditional 1011.000 i- certainly much exag gerated; their loss is said to have been 6400.
l'ontrary to custom. the dead were buried on the field, and over their remains Wag raised the great mound tor t which is still conspicuous in the southern part of the plain. It-, identity, at one time mulch disputed. was proved by the exeavations of the Greek °logical st,eicty in 1890 and 1891, which brought to light Inman bones, ashes, vases of the early fifth century B.C., :111(1 1t, sacrificial trench, where offerings had been made before the earth was heaped up. The literature on the subject is very extensive. Besides the histories of ;recce. may be consulted: l'raser, vol. ii. (London, 189ti1 where is a large bibli ography; :\lilehliiifer's Text to Curt ills and Kau port, bucLuc ron .Ittika (11crlin, 1881-95) ; rodotus. iv.. v.. vi. (London. 1895); and ./ourmil of lirtbnle Studies. vol six. (Lon don, 180P.11,