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| 490 |
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| Themistocles was elected general (strategos) at Athens and began agitating for a larger navy. | 1 |
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| 490 |
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| Second Persian Expedition. King Darius sent another Persian force, this time across the Aegean Sea, under Artaphernes and Datis. Artaphernes besieged Eretria on Euboea, which fell through treachery. Datis, accompanied by the aged former tyrant Hippias, landed at Marathon, a center of Peisistratid strength. | 2 |
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| 490 |
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| BATTLE OF MARATHON. Miltiades, one of the ten regimental generals (strategoi), persuaded the Athenians to attack. The Athenians completely defeated the Persian army. The Persians embarked on their ships and sailed around Cape Sunium to assault Athens itself, but the Athenians hurried back, and the Persians, finding the city defended, retreated to Asia. | 3 |
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| c. 490–480 |
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| RISE OF THE SICILIAN TYRANNY. In this decade, tyrants took power in many Sicilian cities. The most important were Theron of Acragas (488–471) and Gelon of Gela, later of Syracuse (485–478). Gelon made Syracuse into the leading city of Sicily by transporting the populations of conquered neighbors there. He differed from most tyrants in favoring the landed aristocracy (gamoroi) at the expense of the people. | 4 |
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| 489 |
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| Miltiades led an Athenian expedition to capture Paros but failed. He was brought to trial for “deceiving the people” and condemned to pay a heavy fine. He died soon after of wounds sustained at Paros. | 5 |
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| 489–483 |
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| Athens waged an indecisive war with Aegina, whom the Athenians blamed for helping the Persians. | 6 |
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