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

LegacySponsored by: The Federation of

Hellenic American Organizations of NJ (http://hellenicfederationnj.com/)

Co-sponsored by: The Hellenic Club of PhiladelphiaThe Friends of Hellenic Studies at Stockton (

www.stockton.edu/ichs)The Stockton History ClubOGRE (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 GamesIsthmian GamesOlympic GamesEvery 2-4 years776 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 Byron1788-1824PhilhelleneFought 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.