Miltiades
~550–489 BCE · Greek (Athens) · Greco-Persian Wars
Known for: Won the Battle of Marathon—saving Athens and enabling the Greek Golden Age
Miltiades was the Athenian general who won the Battle of Marathon in 490 BCE—one of history's most decisive battles. He convinced the other Athenian generals to attack rather than wait for Spartan reinforcements, and his tactical plan—reinforcing the wings while deliberately weakening the center—encircled and routed the Persian force.
Marathon saved Athens and enabled the Golden Age of Greece. But Miltiades's subsequent expedition against the island of Paros failed, and he was fined an enormous sum and imprisoned. He died of gangrene from a wound sustained at Paros. Athens rewarded its savior with a prison cell.
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