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The Persian Wars
Marathon Aftermath
The Athenians had won at Marathon, but they certainly had not destroyed the Persian army, and they knew it. Well before the battle, they had made provision for whatever might happen at Marathon.
Should the Athenians lose, then word must get back quickly to the city and the citizens would abandon Athens, retreating to the Peloponnesus. Should the Greeks win, then word must likewise get back quickly, for the Persian navy was sure to sail around Attica and attempt to take the city while it was undefended. In the case of victory, the citizens were to man the walls and make it appear that Athens was strongly defended.
So Miltiades sent his best runner,
Phaedippas, to take word back to Athens.
He ran the entire distance. When he arrived, he gasped out a
single word, "victory!" and died.
The Persians did indeed sail around Attica, hoping to find the city helpless. Instead, they found the walls defended and the citizenry ready. Met with this resistance, they hesitated. Not long after, the Greek army arrived. The Persians decided they had had enough of these Greeks, and they sailed home.