166 Persian Arrowheads from Marathon

Museum Description: Persian Arrowheads from Marathon

Room: 15/Case: 3/Number: GR 1935.8-23.35

Scripture: Isaiah 13:18

These little arrowheads were used at one of the most important battles in history, the Battle of Marathon.  The Greeks were fighting against the World Power of the time, the Persians, and were outnumbered perhaps five to one.  They had no cavalry or archers, unlike the invading Persians who were renowned for their skill with the bow and arrow.  The Bible even says the Medes ‘polished the arrows’ before a battle, so they would fly further and cause more damage.  The Greek Athenians had a superior strategy, however, and purposefully left the centre of their forces weak.  When the Persian broke through, they were surrounded and it became a massacre.  The Persians lost around 6,400 men, but the Greeks just 192.  A young Greek ran the 26 miles back to Athens to declare the victory and then dropped dead from exhaustion, which is the origin of the marathon race we know today.  This was a foregleam of the future fulfilment of Bible prophecy, when Greece would replace the Medo-Persian World Power.