The world: historical and actual . no allies. It was Athens againstthe countless hordes of barbarism. About ten thou-sand European freemen repelled the attack of atleast 110,000 of Asiatics. That was the first realmeeting of the two continents in hostility upona scale of continental importance. The Spartanswere on their way to Marathon, but Miltiades neededno night or BlUcher to help him win his Wainloo. It is a melancholy reflection that the hero ofthis victory, more brilliant than Waterloo or theWilderness, died in prison not long after, his con-finement aggravating a wound he received in an
The world: historical and actual . no allies. It was Athens againstthe countless hordes of barbarism. About ten thou-sand European freemen repelled the attack of atleast 110,000 of Asiatics. That was the first realmeeting of the two continents in hostility upona scale of continental importance. The Spartanswere on their way to Marathon, but Miltiades neededno night or BlUcher to help him win his Wainloo. It is a melancholy reflection that the hero ofthis victory, more brilliant than Waterloo or theWilderness, died in prison not long after, his con-finement aggravating a wound he received in an un-successful attempt, sub-secptent to Marathon, toenlarge the dominion ofAthens. His fate con-tributed largely to theproverbial idea of the in-gratitude of Persians were ex-asperated rather thandiscouraged by the for-tunes of resolved to takea revenue worthy hismagnificence. An execu-tive officer in distinctionfrom a man of war,he was equal to greatachievements, in preparationof arms. But before he. by sending back earth ami water. Several of thesmaller states complied, and the disjwsition to actu-ally resisi was confined to Athens and Sparta. Thelatter seemed to remember the glories of Marathonin a noble spirit of emulation, rather than a meanspirit of envy. It was in the spring of 480 thatI! reece was invaded, and in a few months, two morebattles, hardly less memorable than Marathon, werefought, one by land and the other on the sea, thefirst, Thermopylae being the everlasting glory ofSparta, the second, Salamis, adding another star tothe Athenian crown. Thermopylae was a narrow pass, through whichthe mighty army had tomarch, in gaining a foot-hold of advantage. Itsdefense was intrusted toLeonidas, king of Sparta,and his squad—for it washardly more than that—consisted of three hun-dred Spartans, with theirHelots, en- serfs, andabout twenty-five hun-dred men. gathered fromother cities of latter proved to beof no real assistanc
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectworldhistory, bookyea
