Battle of Marathon. A.M. 3514

This is one of a group of drawings by British artist and book illustrator Edward Francis Burney, depicting scenes from Greek and Roman history and mythology. The Battle of Marathon took place in September 490 BCE. It was fought between the Athenians and the Persians, part of the Persians' first attempt to conquer Greece. They sailed to Greece and landed in Marathon Bay. The Persians had a numerical advantage over the Greeks but their armour was weaker and the Greeks won a decisive victory.