The Athenians decided to launch a surprise attack on the Persians.The Athenian soldiers penetrated the Persian forces like speeding arrows. Taken aback, the Persians too showered arrows on the Athenian soldiers. But their arrows fell off the helmets and strong armours of the Athenian soldiers. The familiarity of the Athenians to their sea shore and the fact that Persians were on a new terrain too helped the AtheniAnswer: Lots of soldiers died, many were injured, while some got lost in the marshy area. The battle was over when the Athenians successfully drove back every single remaining Persian soldier back to the ships anchored in the sea.