Marathon:The 2500th Anniversary of an Ancient Battle and its Modern

Legacy

Professor Katherine PanagakosRichard Stockton College

October 14, 2010

Marathon: The 2500th Anniversary of an Ancient Battle and its Modern

Legacy

Sponsored by: The Federation of Hellenic American Organizations of NJ (http://hellenicfederationnj.com/)

Co-sponsored by:

The Hellenic Club of Philadelphia

The Friends of Hellenic Studies at Stockton (www.stockton.edu/ichs)

The Stockton History Club

OGRE (The Order of Greco-Roman Enthusiasts)

Other Events of Interest

Three “Runs” associated with The Battle of Marathon

Run from Athens to Sparta~150 miles

“Run” during the battle~.9 miles

Run after the battle from Marathon to Athens~26 miles

Ancient Panhellenic Games

Pythian/Delphic Games

Nemean Games

Isthmian Games

Olympic Games

Every 2-4 years

776 BC-324 AD

Reconstruction of Painting in Agora in

Athens

The Battle of Marathon September, 490 BC

9,000 Athens + 1,000 Plateans face ~25,000 Persians on the plain of Marathon

Darius, King of Persians

Ionian Revolt Main source: Herodotus’

Histories

Born in 484 BC in Halicarnassus, Asia Minor

Called “The Father of History” by Cicero

Darius’ Revenge

The Plain of Marathon

Philippides (Phidippides) runs to

Sparta 150 miles in 2 days

Sparta was celebrating the Carnea; must wait until the first full moon

Spartathlon ἄθλος = prize

(athletics)

Battle of Marathon Athenians = 9,000 hoplites

Plataeans = 1,000 hoplites

Persians = ~25,000 (20,000-100,000)

Miltiades One of 10 Athenian

Generals

Tactics used Strengthening of right

and left wings, leaving center weaker

Persian cavalry and the Run of Eight Stadia

The Great Debates Persian Cavalry

Run of 8 stades (.9 miles) Weight of arms/armor & Persian arrow range

(.09-.1 mile)

Soros: Burial Mound at Marathon (σορός)

“The Marathon to Athens Run”

Most famous yet least historically accurate and, therefore, probably not likely.

Lord Byron

1788-1824

Philhellene

Fought for Greeks in the Greek War of Independence

Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage: The Plain of Marathon (1821-1818)

The Isles of Greece (1821)

Modern Olympics Pierre Frédy, Baron de

Coubertin

1894-IOC formed

April 1896, Games of I Olympiad

Held in Athens; 14 countries

Michel Breal suggested a long-distance race

17 runners

Began at bridge in Marathon and ended at the Panathanaiko Stadium -24.8 miles

Winner was Spyridon “Spiros” Louis (2:58:50)

Modern Marathon 1896: 24.85

1900: 25.02

1904: 24.85

1908: 26.22

Boston Marathon-oldest annual (1897)

1967 Boston Marathon*

1984 Los Angeles XXIII Olympiad

Atlantic City Marathon

Aeschylus Father of Greek tragedy

c. 525-456/5 BC

7/70 or 90 plays

Oresteia (only trilogy)

The Persians

Αἰσχύλον Εὐφορίωνος Ἀθηναῖον τόδε κεύθει μνῆμα καταφθίμενον πυροφόροιο Γέλας· ἀλκὴν δ' εὐδόκιμον Μαραθώνιον ἄλσος ἂν εἴποι καὶ βαθυχαιτήεις Μῆδος ἐπιστάμενος

Beneath this stone lies Aeschylus, son of Euphorion, the Athenian, who perished in the wheat-bearing land of Gela; of his noble prowess the grove of Marathon can speak, or the long-haired Persian who knows it well.