Siege of Eretria

Siege of Eretria
	Part of the Greco-Persian Wars
	; A map showing the invasion of 490 BC
Date	490 BC
Location	Eretria, Euboea38°23′34″N 23°47′39″E / 38.392801°N 23.794298°E
Result	Persian victory Destruction of Eretria; People of Eretria enslaved;
Belligerents
Eretria	Persian Empire
Commanders and leaders
Unknown	Datis; Artaphernes
Strength
Unknown	Ancient sources: 100,000–300,000 10,000 Persian Immortals; 600 ships; 25,000 Men (modern consensus);
	class=notpageimage\| Location of the siege of Eretria

The siege of Eretria took place in 490 BC, during the first Persian invasion of Greece. The city of Eretria, on Euboea, was besieged by a strong Persian force under the command of Datis and Artaphernes.

The first Persian invasion was a response to Greek involvement in the Ionian Revolt, when the Eretrians and Athenians had sent a force to support the cities of Ionia in their attempt to overthrow Persian rule. The Eretrian and Athenian force had succeeded in capturing and burning Sardis (the regional capital of Persia), but was then forced to retreat with heavy losses. In response to this raid, the Persian king Darius I swore to have revenge on Athens and Eretria.

Once the Ionian revolt was finally crushed by the Persian victory at the Battle of Lade, Darius began to plan to subjugate Greece. In 490 BC, he sent a naval task force under Datis and Artaphernes across the Aegean to subjugate the Cyclades, and then to make punitive attacks on Athens and Eretria. Reaching Euboea in mid-summer after a successful campaign in the Aegean, the Persians proceeded to put Eretria under siege. The siege lasted six days before a fifth column of Eretrian nobles betrayed the city to the Persians. The city was plundered, and the population was deported to the village Ardericca in Susiana near the Persian capital.

After Eretria, the Persian force sailed for Athens, landing at the bay of Marathon. An Athenian army marched to meet them, and won a famous victory at the Battle of Marathon, thereby ending the first Persian invasion.