Destination: Marathon (Μαραθώνας), by Clinton Bergmann

A brief history of Marathon:

Marathon is best known for the Battle of Marathon that took place during the Greco-Persian Wars (502 B.C. - 449 B.C.). This battle marked the first attempt of Persia to conquer ancient Greece. The cause of the Persian attack on ancient Greece was due to Greek involvement in the Ionian Revolt (499 B.C. - 493 B.C.). The Ionian Revolt was an attempt by Athens and Eretria to overthrow Persian rule in Ionia, which was under Persian control. After the Persian victory in the Battle of Lade, which ultimately ended the Ionian Revolt, King Darius I of Persia promised two burn both Athens and Eretria to the ground.

(Photo published at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Greece_location_map.svg)

In 490 B.C., King Darius I sent a naval fleet to conquer the Cyclades in the Aegean Sea. After success there, the Persians attacked and conquered the town Eretria. The Persians then sailed south to Attica and landed near the town of Marathon. The Athenians and small force from Plataea marched all the way to Marathon where they met the Persians on the Plain of Marathon. The Greeks, under the generals Calamaccus and Miltiades, were vastly outnumbered with only about 11,000 men, while the Persians had anywhere from 20,000 to 100,000 men. After a stalemate that lasted five days, the Greek forces noticed that some ships were leaving towards Athens. This caused the Greek forces to attack the Persians during the night. Despite being outnumbered by the Persians, the Greek hoplites (who were heavily armed foot soldiers) were more effective than the lightly armed Persian forces. The battle ended in a Greek victory and with the retreat of Persians back to Asia Minor. The victory at Marathon was mostly accredited to the Greek general Miltiades for his military tactics.

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The Battle of Marathon was significant in many different ways. It was one of the earliest battles ever recorded. It gave ancient Greek city-states confidence in their ability to defend themselves against the Persians. The battle also had an effect on Europe and the rest of the world as it is today. John Stuart Mill, a 19th century philosopher from Britain, said that the Battle of Marathon was a more important battle in British history than the Battle of Hastings.When he made this proclamation, he meant that if ancient Greece had fallen to the Persians, many of the great Greek ideas and innovations would not have made their way into the world.

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One of the most interesting aspects of the Battle of Marathon is the story of the Athenian herald, Phidippides. Being a herald during that time period basically meant that he was a messenger. Phidippides ran from Athens to Sparta to request the aid of the Spartans in the Battle of Marathon. However, the Spartans agreed to send troops only in a few days once their religious holiday had ended. It is said that Phidippides ran about 150 miles in two days. After the Greek victory at Marathon, he was sent to Athens (a distance of 26 miles) to spread the news of victory. When he reached Athens he proclaimed one word, Νενικήκαμεν, or we have won, before collapsing and dying of exhaustion.It was the feat of Phidippides that led to the marathon first being included in the inaugural 1896 Summer Olympics in Greece.

(Photo published at: http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/images/Phidippides.jpg)



The Plain of Marathon Today

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