WI: Persian victory at Marathon?

The Persians defeat the Athenian army at Marathon. What happens next?
Marathon expedition was more about making a point, contrary to the outright invasion of Greece that happened later.
Athenians being defeated probably means that their city will be plundered and burnt as a revenge for Sardes, which would have important consequences : no Athenian hegemony would not only butterfly away many things in Greece itself, but as well in Anatolia and up to Western Europe (the very troubled end of the First Iron Age was aggravated by the shift of trade roads towards Athens and Black Sea).
Athens being significantly weakened (I don't doubt that it would be rebuilt) means that philosophical and ideological influences might be more or less different ITTL : I don't expect an Achemenid dominance there, but pre-Socratic and early Sophists philosophy might evolve into an alternate dominant school.

Persian Empire would likely have an important influence in Greece, probably in the same scale they had in the IVth century BCE plus military projection capacities thanks to a maintained presence in Thrace and Macedonia.
 
And restoring tyranny in Athens.
It seems to have been more of an afterthought : I think that, for Persians, it could have turned as well into a semi-pythagorician matriarchal gerontocracy as long everyone got the message, namely "don't mess with Persia or that will happen to you too".
 
It seems to have been more of an afterthought : I think that, for Persians, it could have turned as well into a matriarchal gerontocracy as long everyone got the message, namely "don't mess with Persia or that will happen to you too".

Maybe, but the Persians had quite a record of prefering tyrants over democracies or oligarchies. It certainly was something systematic, maybe inherent to Persian social structure.
 
Maybe, but the Persians had quite a record of preferring tyrants over democracies or oligarchies. It certainly was something systematic, maybe inherent to Persian social structure.
It's less about social structure, IMO, than it's easier to deal on a personal relationship with local rulers, being on part (relatively) with satraps, and that's not systematical.
Eventually, even after the Ionian revolt, Persians allowed coastal cities to turn back to oligarchic and semi-democratic structures because it was easier to deal with it, than micro-managing everything : it's not even out of neglect, giving that Mardonios took an active part in these reestablishments.
(Edit : Ninja'ed)

I doubt it; by then, the Persians would be able to disembark their cavalry, and on the level plain of Marathon, they would be able to outflank and destroy the Peloponnesians.
Frankly, if Athenians and their allies get trashed, I doubt Spartans will come for a second service and rather they'd just let Persians continue to Athens, humming and looking in the other direction.
 
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Marathon expedition was more about making a point, contrary to the outright invasion of Greece that happened later.
Athenians being defeated probably means that their city will be plundered and burnt as a revenge for Sardes, which would have important consequences

But the Athens had been plundered and burned 10 years later during the 2nd war.
 
But the Athens had been plundered and burned 10 years later during the 2nd war.
There's a big difference having its main city being burned while you're still part of a regional alliance and you scored a major military and political victory just after it went to cinders, and having your city burned when you suffered a major defeat and nobody coming to help you.
 
Frankly, if Athenians and their allies get trashed, I doubt Spartans will come for a second service and rather they'd just let Persians continue to Athens, humming and looking in the other direction.
I generally agree; the only possible mitigating factors I see are Sparta's reputation as a city of tyrant-slayers and them seeing a chance to avenge the slight they suffered in 546, when the Persians conquered Ionia despite Sparta's warnings not to. I don't think it's likely that these considerations would outweigh their general caution, though. It's just that even if they did, they would quite possibly still get trashed if they offered battle in Attica once the Persians are fully disembarked.
 
The Persians defeat the Athenian army at Marathon. What happens next?

Truth-loving Persians do not dwell upon
The trivial skirmish fought near Marathon.
As for the Greek theatrical tradition
Which represents that summer's expedition
Not as a mere reconnaisance in force
By three brigades of foot and one of horse
(Their left flank covered by some obsolete
Light craft detached from the main Persian fleet)
But as a grandiose, ill-starred attempt
To conquer Greece - they treat it with contempt;
And only incidentally refute
Major Greek claims, by stressing what repute
The Persian monarch and the Persian nation
Won by this salutary demonstration:
Despite a strong defence and adverse weather
All arms combined magnificently together.

Robert Graves, "The Persian Version"
 
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