The Battle of Marathon took place in 490 BC during the first Persian invasion of Greece. It was fought between the citizens of Athens, aided by Plataea, and a Persianforce commanded by Datis and Artaphernes. The battle was the culmination of the first attempt by Persia under King Darius I, to subjugate Greece. The Greek army inflicted a crushing defeat on the more numerous Persians, marking a turning point in the Greco-Persian Wars.
If your at the front of a charge, your basically dead, right? That’s gotta be very tough on the psyche.
Not fun stuff, that’s for sure. You’d probably survive the initial charge, but you’re the wave immediately up in the meat grinder. In the 15th and 16th centuries, German mercenary groups called the men in this first charge the verlorene Haufen, the ‘lost heap’, often translated as ‘forlorn hope’. The men who served in it got double pay for their trouble. When there weren’t enough volunteers, those under death sentences were used.
Some military systems could be more forgiving about it, though - many pre-modern militaries didn’t keep strict ranks, so you could shuffle back in the chaos after a few minutes of fighting. Just keep your shield high 'til you get the chance! The Romans, who were fond of keeping strict ranks, would rotate as a unit, bringing the front line to the back every few minutes to keep the soldiers fresh.
