Herodotus: The Father of History | The Ionian Revolt and the Battle of Marathon (Lecture 16)

Lecture 16: In this lecture, we return to Herodotus’ account of Persia, the events leading up to the first invasion of Greece in 490 B.C.E., and the invasion itself. The lecture begins by discussing the Ionian Revolt of 499–494 B.C.E., in which Greek-speaking poleis of Ionia rebelled against Persian rule. The lecture summarizes the course of events in the Ionian Revolt, examines the role that Athens played in helping the rebellious Ionian cities, and pays special attention to Herodotus’ digression on Athenian democracy, which he incorporates into his description of the Ionian Revolt.

The lecture discusses Darius’ desire for vengeance against Athens, which culminated in Darius’ invasion of Greece in 490 B.C.E and the defeat of his troops by the Athenians in the Battle of Marathon. We examine Herodotus’ account of the battle, noting various points where his description seems incomplete or confusing. Finally, the lecture discusses the importance of the veterans of Marathon in the Athenian popular imagination of the later fifth century B.C.E.

Essential Reading:
Herodotus, Books V–VI.

Supplementary Reading:
Burn, Persia and the Greeks, Ch. 10.
Cambridge Ancient History, Vol. 4, pp. 480–490, 497–517.
Cook, Persian Empire, Ch. 9.
Orlin, ”Athens and Persia.”
Sealey, History of the Greek City-States, Ch. 7, pp. 175–178, 187–192.

Lecture 17: https://www.bitchute.com/video/GZyRPFQLYNWh/