The most important of the Athenian war leaders was Miltiades, a powerful and fabulously wealthy aristocrat who had once been tyrant of several Greek colonies on the coast of Turkey. It was probably he, more than anyone else, who persuaded the other Athenian generals of the need to confront the Persians in open battle.

The Athenian force was strongest on its two flanks and weakest in its middle. So when the flanks routed the Persians they were facing, instead of pursuing them, they returned to assist the weakened center. In this way they achieved victory along the whole front, thanks to superior discipline. The figure of 192 Athenian casualties is probably accurate, though this does not take into account the casualties among the Plateans, nor the (probably) small number of slaves who fought in the battle in exchange for their freedom. It is thought that the reported figure of 6400 Persian slain was probably an exaggeration, but not excessively so.

Despite their overwhelming victory the Athenians had little time for celebration. Almost immediately they were forced to return to Athens to thwart the cavalry force sent against the city. In the event it fled back to Persia.