La Version Persane. (Translation) . Poem by Michael Walker

The poem in heroic couplets is immediately attractive because of its pleasant-sounding title, with two feminine rhymes, 'Persian Version'.
The Battle of Marathon was fought between Greek and Persian armies in 490 B.C, a battle which the Greeks won decisively and routed the Persian invaders. It was the first time that Persia, under King Darius I, invaded Greece.
Greek theatrical tradition hails this battle as a great, decisive victory for the nation, which it was. The truth-loving Persians, though, despise the Greek tradition and play down their own loss. The Persians are rationalising about the unpleasant truth of defeat, hiding it in cliches, 'all arms combined magnificently together'. It is still human nature, in wars, for losers to play down defeat, while the winners stress their triumph.
The Battle of Marathon is considered a watershed, in that Greece proved for the first time that Persia could be defeated completely.
I think this poem is a major achievement by Robert Graves.