13 Facts About Datis

Datis or Datus was a Median noble and admiral who served the Persian Empire during the reign of Darius the Great.

Datis was familiar with Greek affairs, maintained connections with Greek officials, respected Greek deities, and even attempted to speak Greek.

The personal name Datis derives from the Old Iranian *Datiya-, as evidenced by the Elamite equivalent Da-ti-ya and by the Greek form -is, which reflects the Old Persian ending -iya-.

Datis was ordered to reduce Athens and Eretria to slavery, and bring the Greek slaves before the Achaemenid king.

In 490 BCE, Datis sailed from the Ionian shoreline to Samos, and then he travelled through the Icarian sea to the islands of Delos and Naxos.

Datis then sent the inhabitants a message telling them he did not seek to harm them.

Datis burnt large amounts of incense at the altar of Apollo.

Datis's forces travelled along the Greek coast taking town after town.

Datis began the siege by destroying the crops around the city.

Datis attacked the Eretrians in battle, resulting in high numbers of casualties.

Datis commanded the Persian assault force against the Athenians at the Battle of Marathon in the same year.

Ctesias of Cnidus relates that Datis was slain at Marathon and that the Athenians refused to hand over his body.

However, this conflicts with Herodotus' claim that Datis survived the battle.