Marathon
placeMarathon was the coastal plain northeast of Athens where the Athenians defeated a much larger Persian force in 490 BC — the battle that saved Greek civilisation and inspired the modern marathon race.
The Myth
When Darius I sent a Persian expeditionary force to punish Athens for supporting the Ionian revolt, the Athenians met them at Marathon with around 10,000 hoplites against perhaps 25,000 Persians. The Athenian general Miltiades strengthened the wings and weakened the centre, encircling the Persian force. The Persians lost 6,400 men; the Athenians 192. A runner (traditionally Pheidippides) ran to Athens to announce the victory, reportedly gasping "We have won" before dying. The 192 Athenian dead were buried in a mound that still stands.
Symbols
Fun Fact
The marathon race (26.2 miles) was invented for the 1896 Olympics to commemorate Pheidippides' legendary run — the ancient world's most famous jog.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth:
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