The Battle of Marathon has been recorded as one of the most crucial events in the history of major conflicts, which affected the course and future of the free world. This battle took place in 490 B.C. on the plain of Marathon, during the first Persian invasion of Greece. The conflict was the result of a fierce battle between the forces that protected Athens and a very strong Persian military force. The military forces on the field were led by the Greek Miltiades on one side and the Persians led by Dati and Artaphernes on the other. The Persians, at the suggestion of Hippias, son of an Athenian tyrant, decided to disembark in Marathon. Hippias, who had taken refuge at the court of Darius, decided to land there for reasons of the Persian cavalry, which was the main weapon of the Persians.

Herodotus, the so-called "father of history," was among the most important sources of information for the battle. He described how the Persian fleet and the army arrived at Marathon's sandy beach (today's Schinias) with the intention of defeating the Greeks. The two conflicting or enemy sides arranged their military forces in opposing directions.

The crucial battle for the future of Western civilization is well known and well analyzed, but some points need clarification. During that battle, a stranger suddenly appeared in the Greek camp, supposedly coming out of the sacred grotto of Panos in Marathon. He wore a uniform resembling that of a village man and held in his hands a gun that resembled a shotgun! It was not any kind of familiar weapon of the day. Many referred to him as Echetlos since it resembled the ehteli, a type of plow handle!

The soldiers were turned blind due to an excessive glow, even though nothing had touched them—no spear, sword, or bow arrow. They say that this man killed many barbarians with this plow-like weapon, and when the battle was over, he disappeared just as mysteriously as he had appeared. There is no record of him, and no one has mentioned his origin or name.

This weapon enabled him to hit the enemies and kill them from a relative distance. A warrior fighting in battle claimed to have seen a man whose beard covered his whole shield. He said that this man appeared like a ghost, marching or running with great momentum from the mountain (the cave of Panos), scattering death and panic among the Persians. He was holding a very bright weapon, which today we would call a laser. The shape of the artifact is similar to a state-of-the-art weapon, as researchers later discovered! Some people say that it looked like a modern machine gun equipped with radiation missiles or emitting "lightning." They even say he used some kind of modern "flamethrower." All these later interpretations or allegations make us wonder whether the peculiar and strange weapon was an advanced beam weapon.

But a question has been on the table ever since. Ehetli was an amazing special weapon.

Witnesses mentioned and admired Ehetlos for his strength and efficacy. The fact that he was completely unknown to everyone made a deep impression on the Athenians. To discover the identity of the unknown hero, the Athenians asked the Oracle of Delphi. They wanted to know who was struggling with them. The Oracle gave them a straightforward and simple response: Ehetlos should be treated as a hero from now on and nothing more.

Pausanias, a traveler and historian, went to the "poikili," or diverse stoa, in Athens, which was named after the various murals it contained. The paintings and loot from wars displayed on it were the reasons for its fame. One particular representation is of great interest to us because it depicts all those who fought in the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC. Famous painters made sure that Ehetlos, a heroic figure for whom they had no evidence, was also depicted next to Callimachus and Miltiadis in this representation.

Since then, the Athenians have continued honoring the unknown hero with this strange name, as he played a significant role in the Greek victory against the Persians. However, the Battle of Marathon has probably been associated with many other strange and supernatural events that have been recorded and mentioned to this day. Herodotus, Plutarch, and Pausanias reported that strange phenomena appeared during the battle. Pausanias proposed and presented us with a living image of the battle, and he wrote down what the Athenians saw. The goddess Athena and the demigod Hercules also claim to be mysteriously involved in this battle. Additionally, the god Pan accompanied and supported the Athenians in the battle and, together with his followers, caused panic and terror among the Persians.

People had and kept the belief that Pan and Ehetlos were identical! The traditions even mention strange lights at the time of the battle in the zone of the great swamp to the side occupied by the Persians. Strange events and unexplained effects took place during the Battle of Marathon. Some people even support the idea that Echetlos was a time traveler who arrived in ancient Greece and altered the course of history. Plato, Lysias, Pausanias, Plutarch, and the Roman Cornelius Nepos are also sources for the battle.