Democr acy defended at Marathon

September 490 BCE, Marathon, Greece

“The battle of Marathon, even as an event in English history, is more important than the battle of Hastings,” British philosopher John Stuart Mill once stated. Why did he think so? It boils down to the Athenians who fought the battle against great odds, fighting for their relatively new form of government, a democracy. It would not be the last fight, but it became a symbol of civil society standing up to tyranny that inspired generations to come.