Miltiades (c.555-489): was an athenian aristocrat, born under the reign of a tyrant named Pisistratu. Miltiades was a commander and politician, famous for his victory at Marathon.
He had the function of archont in 524/523, which suggests that he cooperated with the sovereign family. He also belonged to the high court, the areopagus.
In c.520, Miltiades received the Chersonese, the peninsula north of Troy and west of the Hellespont. The Greek historian Herodotus of Halicarnassus, wrote in the 430 that Miltiades’ ancestor, Miltiade The Elder was suggested by the oracle of Delphi to accept the government in this area, which was offered to him by an embassy of Chersonesians.
Sustained by athenian colonists Miltiades had taken over the peninsula. (This probably have happened with support from the Pisistratids.)
Through Herodotus’ writings we find out that Miltiades took over Chersonese by a sort of ambush, as he stayed at home playing the grieving brother. When the leaders of the Chersonesians came to him to offer their sympathy, he arrested them. Miltiades married a Thracian lady named Hegesipyle, the daughter of Olorus.
In september 490 B.C a great amount of persian armed forces, about 600 ships and 20,000 worriors attacked greeks, a few steps away from Athens, in its nothern side, on a field named Marathon.
Although the athenian forces were less than half of the persians, Miltiades had a courageous idea, daring to send his 10,000 hoplites to attack the far more persians, making a fast run for it. The persians were on the shore of the sea, being constantly reinforced by their ships and at Miltiade command, the athenians attacked the persians runing, instead of slowly approching. This was an element of surprise and about 9600 persians were killed, while only 198 athenians died.
So, because of this battle that remains in history, is Miltiades a great general.
In the following years Miltiades lead some 70 ships to conquer some greek islands that were suposed to have helped the persians. His attacks were a failure and he was badly wounded.
When returned to Athens, his rivals condemned him for treason and sent him to prison where he died, probably because of his wounds.
