Why did the Ionian Greeks revolt, and why did Darius's punitive expedition fail at Marathon?
The Ionian Revolt of 499 to 494 BC, Athenian involvement and the burning of Sardis, the Persian reconquest of Ionia, and Darius's first invasion of Greece ending in defeat at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC, studied through Herodotus.
An OCR GCSE Ancient History answer on the Ionian Revolt of 499 to 494 BC and the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC, covering the causes of the revolt, Athenian help and the burning of Sardis, the Persian reconquest of Ionia, Darius's punitive expedition and why the Athenians won at Marathon, studied through Herodotus.
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What this dot point is asking
The empire built by Cyrus and organised by Darius now collides with the Greeks. This dot point covers the Ionian Revolt (499 to 494 BC), the rebellion of the Greek cities under Persian rule, and Darius's first invasion of Greece, which ended in the famous Athenian victory at Marathon in 490 BC. You need to explain why the revolt broke out and why the Persians lost at Marathon, and to use Herodotus (Books 5 and 6) critically, since he is pro-Greek and writes the story as a moral drama.
The answer
Why the Ionians revolted
The revolt and the burning of Sardis
Darius's punitive expedition and Marathon
Why the Athenians won
Herodotus Books 5 and 6 are the main source. He is vivid and detailed but pro-Greek, telling the story as the triumph of free Greeks over an empire, so you should use his account while testing its emphasis.
Examples in context
A model answer uses Herodotus as evidence and adds outside knowledge, then judges the stated view rather than retelling the battle.
Try this
Q1. In what year was the Battle of Marathon, and who led the Athenians? [Knowledge recall]
- Cue. 490 BC; the Athenians were led by Miltiades.
Q2. Explain why the burning of Sardis was important for the later conflict between Persia and Athens. [Short explanation]
- Cue. Because Athens had helped the Ionians burn the Persian provincial capital, Darius singled out Athens for punishment, which led directly to the expedition of 490 BC and the Battle of Marathon.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of OCR exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
OCR J198/01 201810 marksExplain why the Ionian Revolt broke out in 499 BC. [10-mark explanation question]Show worked answer →
A Section A explanation question (AO1 and AO2) on causation.
Knowledge. The Greek cities of Ionia had been under Persian rule since Cyrus took Lydia; Persia governed through unpopular tyrants such as Histiaeus and Aristagoras of Miletus.
Explanation. Reward developed reasons: resentment at Persian-backed tyrants, the heavy demands of tribute and military service, the personal ambition of Aristagoras (who launched the revolt to save himself after a failed expedition), and a desire for the freedom enjoyed by mainland Greek cities.
Top band. Rank the reasons, distinguishing long-term grievances from the immediate trigger (Aristagoras's gamble), and judge which mattered most.
OCR J198/01 202015 marksStudy Herodotus Book 6 on the Battle of Marathon and your own knowledge. 'The Athenians won at Marathon mainly because of their tactics.' How far do the source and your knowledge support this view? [shown at the 15-mark source-and-knowledge style]Show worked answer →
A Section A extended source-and-knowledge judgement (AO1, AO2 and AO3), shown at the 15-mark style.
Use the source. Herodotus describes the Athenian charge at a run, the strengthened wings enveloping the Persian centre, and the rout that followed; draw evidence from his account.
Bring own knowledge. Add the absence of the Persian cavalry, the Athenian heavy hoplite armour against lighter Persian infantry, Miltiades's leadership and the failure of the expected Persian plan.
Judge. Weigh tactics against other factors (cavalry absence, hoplite equipment, leadership, morale) and reach a supported conclusion, testing Herodotus's pro-Athenian emphasis as you go. The top level judges the view, using the source critically rather than retelling it.
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- The prescribed sources for the Persian Empire period study: Herodotus as the main Greek literary narrative (and its problems), and the Persian material evidence (the Cyrus Cylinder, the Behistun inscription and the Persepolis reliefs), and how to weigh one kind against the other.
An OCR GCSE Ancient History guide to the prescribed sources for the Persian Empire period study, explaining how to use Herodotus as the main Greek literary narrative (and the problems of a later, pro-Greek, moralising author) alongside the Persian material evidence (the Cyrus Cylinder, the Behistun inscription and the Persepolis reliefs), and how to weigh Greek against Persian sources.
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Sources & how we know this
- OCR GCSE (9-1) Ancient History J198 specification — OCR (2017)
- Herodotus, Histories, Books 5 and 6 — Perseus Digital Library