Regarding Marathon Battle here's an
assay from a strategy network. I think it's quite fair.
'cause it's in italian, here's the sum of the fact (sorry for the poor English).
-Numbers
Persians: Even though some sources indicate 40.000 infantrymen and 4-6.000 cavalrymen, the more reasonable number are
10-15.000 persian infantrymen
1000-1500 persian cavalrymen
3-6000 Ippia's henchmen (irregulars?)
maybe some mercenary hoplite
Athenian:
9-10.000 Athenian Hoplites
1.000 Platean Hoplites
-Battle Formations
The Persian landed on Marathon, where the Athenian arrived later. The Marathon plain was estemeed befitting for the Persian heavy cavalry. The two armies confronted for some days but in the end, the Athenian attacked on the 11 September.
Interestingly Herodotus don't speak of the Persian cavalry. Probably they were on the boats (used like stables) 'cause the Persian general, Artafernes (son of the Great King) do not wanted to leave such precious troops in the open at night, or maybe they were devasting the fields around (the expedition was a vindicatory expedition, after all). But as a matter of fact, the persian cavalry never arrived on the battlefield.
The Persian batteline is somewhat unknown. The Greek battleline was, actually, strange: for matching the long Persian line (thus avoiding encirclement, deadly for an hoplitic army) the Athenian generals weakened the centre and then reinforced the wings.
It's unknown if this was a strategic choice or a fluke. Each battle line was long nearly 1500 m and the no-man-zone betwenn the armies was of 1500 m.
-The Battle
The Greek attacked, advancing swiflty, unnaturaly swiftly for a phalanx army, and sprinted the last 200 m. The sprint was probably the point for the poor prestation of the Persian archers, who hitted nearly 100 men. The Greek than clashed on the Persian line. The Greek center (already weakened) suffered, while the (reinforced) wings pushed back the Persian.
The Persian wings routed and then the Greek wings managed to turn around (not a simple feat, if I haven't misinterpreted), attacking the Persian center (probably the toughest section of the Persian army) from three sides. After little, the Persian center routed.
-Aftermath
The Greek losses were 192 (assessed), while the Persian losses were from 6400 to 2000 (Herodotus says 6400, but 2000 or maybe even 1500 is a more reasonable number).
The Greek covered the no-man-land in something like 15'. The battle lasted, from the clash of the armies to the rout of the Persian center, probably less than an hour (maybe even 20').
!
:, but I think the knee should be a bit higher 
) 
