Everyone loved the idea, especially the Greeks, hosts to the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896.The Greeks loved the marathon even more after one of their own--the only Greek winner in those first Games--captured the approximately 25 mile run from Marathon to Athens. Breaking in panic, the Persians fled towards their ships, with large numbers killed as they retreated. "Joy, we win!" Pheidippides was employed as a dayrunner, referred to as hemerodrome, in Ancient Greek, by the Athenian military. It goes something like this: a Greek messenger, Pheidippides, ran 26 miles from Marathon to Athens to bring news of the Athenian victory over the invading Persians. He was a British RAF Wing Commander who has an innate love for Greece and it's ancient history. Pheidippides is said to have run from Marathon to Athens to deliver news of the victory of the battle of Marathon. About 2500 years ago, on the north coast of Attica, Pheidippides is said to have witnessed one of the best-known battles of the classical world. Pheidippides shamelessly admits he's doing the unthinkablehitting his own father. [Photos courtesy Jill Forsythe, lvrunningscene.com]Here's a brief history, organized mostly by author contribution.Roger Robinson, 2003, Running In LiteratureWhether writing in his book or in s or Robinson provides the most concise, authoritative, believable (and often funny) stories about Phedippides and the Battle of Marathon. The village of Marathon is known as the site for the "Battle of Marathon", one of the major battles between the Athenians and Persians in 490 B.C.E. The actual distance between Marathon and Athens is closer to 25 miles, but the extra heartbreak mile became part of the official distance 42.195km at the 1908 Olympic Games in London. "First Boston Marathon, April 19, 1897McDermott wins again! He believes the armor would have permitted them to run no more than the final 150 meters.However, Billows does allow that about 6000 Athenian soliders ran and hiked back to the capital in the afternoon of the same day to make sure Persian ships did not attack from the west. Unsurprisingly, 2,500 intervening years have done little to separate fact from legend. In reality, Pheidippides walked the road from Athens to Sparta to ask for reinforcements, which would be about 213 kilometers. In 1921, the length of marathons became standardized at 42.195km (26miles, 385yards). There are two stories associated with Pheidippides. But the next day Miltiades got intelligence that the Persians had sent their cavalry back to their ships and were planning to split into two groups and surround the Greeks. The route was mostly uphill and many were wearing 30 to 50 pounds of armor. Pheidippides takes the ancient Iera Odos (sacred road) up to Eleusis, from where he follows a military road, Skyronia Odos, across the flanks of the Gerania mountains. There was a pandemonium of joy." Athens won the battle, but now it was up to Pheidippides to make the run from Marathon to Athens, a distance of 40 kilometers or about 25 miles. Sam Stoller was a Jewish-American sprinter, who is most famous for being excluded from the American 4X100 relay team at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, apparently to appease Hitler. Strepsiades is the anti-hero of Aristophanes's play. Not only was Pheidippidess news not urgent enough for kill oneself for, the only reasonably-contemporary source we have on the Battle of Marathon is Herodotus, and he makes no mention of a herald racing back to Athens. Warm, muggy conditions took a heavy toll on the runners, but it appeared that the Italian, Dorando Pietri, would break the tape in a respectable 2:54. The costume . Pheidippides enters the history book because he could run fast and far, and because in 490 BC, with angry Persian immortals just outside their walls, the Athenians decided that they needed help. After he gave his message, he promptly dropped dead from the exertion. Otherwise, they might be running more than 10 times the distance they do now. The only problem with Pheidippidess story is that its absolute bollocks. Published by Rodale. With his constitution fairly compromised, Pheidippides found himself trudging back over Mount Parthenion, when suddenly he had a vision of the god Pan standing before him. (Thanks to Rich Benyo for introducing me to this classic, and I use the word very lightly. Bob Hearn, an American four times Spartathlete, and a history . Strepsiades wakes before dawn with worries about his debt. The Persians were completely unprepared for this manuever. He flung down his shieldran like fire once more: And the space 'twixt the fennel-fieldand Athens was stubble again, a field which a fire runs through,'till in he broke: "Rejoice, we conquer!" This is how Pheidippides likely fueled during his run, and how I ran the race, too. Writing 500 years after Herodotus, the Greek scribe Plutarch, in his essay On the Glory of Athens, depicts a different messenger called Thersippus (or Eukles) making the run from Marathon to Athens. This scene reminds me of Strepsiades at the door of Socrates' Phrontesterion in Aristophanes' Clouds. "Krenz doubts that the Athenians marched back to Athens the same day, as recounted by Billows. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. But things get worse from there. ], The first known written account of a run from Marathon to Athens occurs in the works of the Greek writer Plutarch (46120AD), in his essay "On the Glory of Athens". Like Pheidippides he is said to have run: And the man came in hastily, and told Eli. But the moon wasnt full, and religious law forbade the Spartans to battle until it was, which wouldnt be for another six days time. Why Trust Us? No, it's just me in an elaborate Pheidippides costume, fashioned by my sewing- and craft-worthy wife Cristina (see photo lower in blog post). This tale, immortalised for the modern audience in Robert Brownings 1879 poem Pheidippides, inspired a member of the Olympic committee, Michel Bral, to propose that the distance of the run between the battle site and the Greek capital should be used as the benchmark length for the inaugural marathon when it was launched at the first modern Olympics in 1896. Herodotus, the so-called "father of history," was born after the Battle of Marathon, and reconstructed his account some 40 to 50 years later.Despite overwhelming odds, the Greeks somehow crushed the Persians, perhaps because their attack out of the foothills was unexpected and fast. Modern-day endurance athletes often report such visions, known as 'sleepmonsters', which can be fantastically realistic. It was coined by Justin E. Trivax, and Peter A. McCullough in 2012.. (4:14) . On his last assisted fall, he crumbled across the finish in 2:54:47. Not quite in mid-season shape, he delivered the message "Niki!" The Persian Empire, seeking to punish Athens for some outrageously cheeky behavior in Asia Minor, despatched an amphibious expeditionary force to Greece, first taking Eretria on the island of Euboea and then making their way southward toward Athenian territory. 1 / 98. plasticity. The Persian fleet landed at the bay of Marathon, where they found the exits blocked off by a 10,000-strong Athenian army. an American marathon runner is the most famous ultramarathon runner in the world. The Greeks - <b>Phidippides' & the First Marathon. The Athenians thrusting spears gave them an advantage in hand-to-hand fighting. The first marathon The Spartathlon Since 1983, an annual footrace from Athens to Sparta, known as the Spartathlon, traces Pheidippides' grueling one-way run across 140 miles of rugged Greek countryside. Hayes was awarded the gold medal. The Athenians were outnumbered two or three to one, so the sensible thing to do was to hunker down and wait for reinforcements, which were supposed to be on their way from Sparta. Run, Pheidippides, one race more! "Egine Louis" means, loosely, "Be like Spiridon Louis. Summary. Why are we not running some 300 miles, the distance Pheidippides ran from Athens to Sparta and back? The distance between Marathon and Athens is about 26 miles, and todays marathon races have beencreated to commemorate that. Just as I was fully realizing the depth of my connection to this place, a large diesel truck came barreling down the highway straight for me, thrusting me back into the present-day reality of the modern Spartathlon. And the nose was assaulted by a pungent array of smells: the sweat of struggling men, the sweetish, coppery smell of blood, and above all, no doubt, the acrid scent of piss and dank stink of shit as fear, trauma, and death caused men's bladders and bowels to be loosened. The traditional story relates that Pheidippides, an Athenian herald, ran the 42 km (26 miles) from the battlefield by the town of Marathon to Athens to announce the Greek . Comparatively little is recorded of the mysterious hemerodromoi other than that they covered incredible distances on foot, over rocky and mountainous terrain, forgoing sleep if need be in carrying out their duties as messengers. There is no finish line to cross, no mat to step over or tape to break; instead you conclude the journey by touching the feet of the towering bronze statue of King Leonidas in the center of town. The vision of a young man heralding victory, moments . Athens. "Richard Billows, 2010, Marathon: How One Battle Changed Western CivilizationBillows, a history professor at Columbia, emphasizes how a Persian victory at Marathon would have changed the course of history. Socratic philosophy is much to be preferred to Epicureanism. Pheidippides was forced to run back along the route he had just taken, alone and carrying a heavy load of bad news. Bad casting? Gynn, 1979,left, foot race? Some Notes: [1] How and Wells's commentary on 6.105.1 " , though only found in the second family of MSS., is supported by the other authorities (Paus. Victory! As he sprinted the 150 miles, 11,000 Greek infantry men waited near the approaching 30,000 Persian invaders that had landed on the coast of Marathon. Athens is saved, thank Pan, go shout! He flung down his shield, Of course, the different routes were very different, and haphazardly measured, so record-keeping, at least in the marathon, was still far from being a science.First Standard Marathon of 26 Miles, 385 Yards--The London Olympic Marathon, July 24, 1908After the first Olympic Marathon and the first Boston Marathon, the official marathon distance remained, uh, mostly unofficial for the next decade. After learning that the Persian cavalry was temporarily absent, Miltiades had managed to convince Callimachus to order a general attack against the enemy, before using reinforced flanks to lure the Persians elite warriors into the centre, where they were overwhelmed. Yes, he fought on the Marathon day: Which of the following is the Greek term for the citadel that was located at the "top of the city" in Athens? They agreed to come to the assistance of their Greek brethren when it was over, but it would be a week or more before their feared hoplites (citizen soldiers) would be in battle position where the Athenians needed them. A second (probably legendary) story says that he ran from Athens to Marathon to take part in the battle, and then returned . He died when arriving to Athens after delivering the message. However, before the invasion, it was Pheidippides responsibility to run the 240 kilometer (150 mile) distance from Athens to Sparta to ask Sparta for their help. Pheidippides. Herodotus[11]. And in which direction? So they waited for the full moon, and meanwhile Hippias, the son of Pisistratus, guided the Persians to Marathon. Billows writes: "If ten thousand men had not made the stand they did on the plain of Marathon, history as we know it would not have come about. Adapted with permission from .css-1hr08dr{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.125rem;text-decoration-color:#59E7ED;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:inherit;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-1hr08dr:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}The Road to Sparta, by Dean Karnazes. And then he promptly collapsed from exhaustion and died. However, the work circulated in manuscript form and became influential. They are said to have arrived before nightfall. Although the story is commonly attributed to Herodotus, it is not actually found in his writings. Following their subsequent victory over the Persians, the Athenians build a temple dedicated to Pan. Plutarch, writing in the 1st century AD, says it did. On this 1,200-metre-high mountain peak just above ancient Tegea (now the village of Alea, close to Tripoli), Pheidippides has his legendary encounter with the god Pan, who laments that the Athenians fail to acknowledge him as much as they should. After running about 25 miles to the Acropolis, he burst into the chambers and gallantly hailed his countrymen with Nike! [1], Philippides, the one who acted as messenger, is said to have used it first in our sense when he brought the news of victory from Marathon and addressed the magistrates in session when they were anxious how the battle had ended; "Joy to you, we've won" he said, and there and then he died, breathing his last breath with the words "Joy to you." I was gaining toward Tegea, which would mean about 30 more miles to go. The Royal Family asked for the starting line to be extended to Windsor Castle, so the young princes could see the 56 brave young marathoners begin the race at 2:30 p.m. He made the 155 mile-journey between cities in less than two days, but the Spartans were too busy washing their hair (or whatever Spartans did, who cares) to move for several more days, and by the time they bothered, the battle had already been won. Painting of Pheidippides as he gave word of the Greek victory over Persia at the Battle of Marathon to the people of Athens. The Soros, or "burial mound," is still visible on the Plain, and the current Marathon course runs past it. This is where the marathon running race gets its name. It was the year 490BC and the Persian king was determined to crush the Greek city states that had been supporting Grecian enclaves within his . Exhausted as he was, Pheidippidess job was not complete. Due: Wednesday, April 21, 2021. "[10] They point out that Lucian is the only classical source with all the elements of the story known in modern culture as the "Marathon story of Pheidippides": a messenger running from the fields of Marathon to announce victory, then dying on completion of his mission.[10]. Spridon Louis was a late entry to the Olympics, having placed fifth in an Olympic Trials race a month before the Games opened. Using briliant tactics, the Athenians achieve a decisive victory. Sappho was a famous Greek . According to the account he gave the Athenians on his return, Pheidippides met the god Pan on Mount Parthenium, above Tegea. After officials pointed him in the correct direction, he lurched drunkenly towards the finish line, falling several times. It worked out for them: the phalanx drove the invaders back into the sea, inflicting massive casualties for minimal loss. (Mention of a "fennel-field" is a reference to the Greek word for fennel, marathon, the origin of the name of the battlefield.). Despite being outnumbered, the Greeks were in an advantageous battle position, so General Miltiades, the leader of the Athenian troops, had the men hunker down to await the arrival of the Spartans. Bringing the news of the victory in Marathon, he found the archons seated, in suspense regarding the issue of the battle. It is a common Athenian name (C. I. For comparison, many 50-mile ultramarathons have cutoff times of 13 or 14 hours to complete the race in its entirety. So, when Persia was dust, all cried, "To Acropolis!Run, Pheidippides, one race more! How about that? Rejoice, we conquer!). The pitiful sight drew a loud reaction from the crowd, and officials several times helped Pietri to his feet. The runner's name was probably Philippides, and he covered the 280 miles to Sparta and back in just a couple of days. Sparta, though, stood 150 miles from Athens and time was . Communications technology in ancient Greece was not especially advanced, so to get information from place to place, runners were employed. This was important because Pan, in addition to his other powers, had the capacity to instill an irrational, blind fear that paralyzed the mind and suspended all sense of judgment panic. He is said to have run from Marathon to Athens in under 36 hours to deliver news of a military victory against the Persians. Turns out, however, the story is bigger than that. The distance between Marathon and Athens is about 26 miles . Herodotus, writing about 30 to 40years after the events he describes, did, according to Miller (2006) in fact base his version of the battle on eyewitness accounts,[7] so it seems altogether likely that Pheidippides was an actual historical figure. I could have also used some ouzo to get through it. Strepsiades. Robert Browning gave a version of the traditional story in his 1879 poem "Pheidippides". The significance of this story is to be understood in the light of the legend that the god Pan returned the favor by fighting with the Athenian troops and against the Persians at Marathon. . There are two stories associated with Pheidippides. Hear a conversation with David Willey and Dean Karnazes on The RW Show.Available on iTunes, Stitcher, and other podcast platforms. The winner was an Irish immigrant, John J. McDermott, who crossed the line in 3:25:55. For example, running played a big role in the battle, though a key distance covered was about a mile, not 26.2 miles. However, he didn't run back to Athens after the Battle, and didn't drop dead while proclaiming the Greek victory to an anxious Athens citizenry.The invention of the Pheidippides running myth seems to have blossomed from Robert Browning's 1878 epic poem, which included the famous verses and concluding hurrah: "Rejoice, we conquer!" Like wine through clay,joy in his blood bursting his heart the bliss! In 1924, the London distance was ratified as the official marathon distance.What happened in London? Not much is known about Pheidippides, the Athenian soldier despatched by his generals to Sparta to enlist the help of the Spartans in the Athenians' quarrel with the Persians. This carefully chosen route avoids the territory of Argos, which is not in alliance with Athens. Nationality: Greek. A century later, Greek satirist Lucian put Pheidippidess name in the frame for the same run. And Pheidippides was by this time cremated, and unable to bring any message after his initial one from Sparta. It wasn't supposed to be that way . In just five days, Pheidippides had run an aggregate 332 miles without shoes. With a recorded history spanning over 3,400 years, Athens is the oldest capital city in Europe. Much bigger. The starting gun went off, and away we went, into the streets crowded with morning traffic. Pheidippides (Greek: , sometimes given as Phidippides, by Herodotus and Plutarch, or as Philippides), hero of Ancient Greece, is the central figure in a story that was the inspiration for a modern sporting event, the marathon. ), whereas Pheidippides is a witticism of Aristophanes (Nub. Stilpo, a Megarian, also belongs to the Socratic tradition. The father and son shout insults at one another. Pheidippides is said to have run from Marathon to Athens to deliver news of the victory of the battle of Marathon. Pheidippides was one such runner, and according to legend, as soon as Athens had won the day at Marathon, he absolutely booked it back home, bringing the relieved citizens news of victory before dying of his exertions. But the Spartans would not fight until there was a full moon. When I reopened my eyes, I found myself in the middle of the road. Within 36 hours, Pheidippides has covered 153 miles to reach the powerful city state, where hopes of enlisting extra military support are dashed by the discovery that the Spartans are observing a religious festival. He tied the world record at the 60-yard dash. This ancient Greek herald inspired two modern-day races. Run, Pheidippides, one race more! Instead, its the entire Athenian army which makes the trek. And 5,000 to 6,000 Athenian soldiers did complete a post-battle jog from Marathon to Athens, 22 to 25 miles, in about six to seven hours. 4, viii. About 2500 years ago, on the north coast of Attica, Pheidippides is said to have witnessed one of the best-known battles of the classical world. Who is Pheidippides What was he known for? The mayor of Sparta places an olive leaf wreath upon the head of each finisher and you are handed a golden goblet of water to drink from the Evrotas River, similar to how Olympian winners were honored in ancient times. Like wine through clay,Joy in his blood bursting his heart, he died--the bliss! About the Don Pacifico Affair Diplomatic Incident of Modern Greece, Battle of Chaeronea and the Rise of Macedon, Punic Wars Rise of Power in the Ancient World. It is an early red-figure vase, of c. 485-480 BCE, so pre-dates Aristophanes by two generations. Much bigger. 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Krenz says, in essence: Never underestimate the fitness of a well-trained Athenian. In fact, it is more likely that he ran a much greater distance than 26 miles. Till in he broke: Rejoice, we conquer! Like wine thro clay, According to the historian Herodotus, Pan explained that while he was loyal to the Athenians, they must worship him properly in order to preserve the alliance. And that is why, each year, thousands of people put themselves through 26.2 miles of hell in marathon-length running events all around the world. , so to get information from place to place, runners were employed A. McCullough in 2012 (... Gun went off, and meanwhile Hippias, the Athenians marched back to Athens delivering. His debt Games opened the god Pan on Mount Parthenium, above Tegea the story is commonly attributed to,... His initial one from Sparta until there was a full moon, and Eli... Finish in 2:54:47, they might be running more than 10 times distance. 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Makes the trek exits blocked off by a 10,000-strong Athenian army is how Pheidippides likely fueled during run. 280 miles to go and the man came in hastily, and away we went, into streets... Wearing 30 to 50 pounds of armor Marathon running race gets its name runner is the anti-hero of (! Of Aristophanes & # x27 ; t supposed to be that way fight until was. Not especially advanced, so pre-dates Aristophanes by two generations Justin E.,... Persians to Marathon to Sparta and back Hearn, an American Marathon runner is the anti-hero of Aristophanes Nub! To have run: and the man came in hastily, and todays Marathon have! Fantastically realistic Spartans would not fight until there was a British RAF Wing Commander who an! Across the finish in 2:54:47, Pheidippidess job was not especially advanced, so pre-dates Aristophanes by generations. This carefully chosen route avoids the territory of Argos, which would mean 30. Road from Athens and time was he tied the world record at battle... Of Socrates & # x27 ; Clouds April 19, 1897McDermott wins again, its the entire Athenian army message! Olympics, having placed fifth in an Olympic Trials race a month before the Games opened he. His writings century AD, says it did meanwhile Hippias, the story is commonly attributed Herodotus... The 60-yard dash or `` burial mound, '' is still visible the... And other podcast platforms Pheidippides shamelessly admits he & # x27 ; s.. First Boston Marathon, he promptly dropped dead from the exertion ran from to! The 60-yard dash the phalanx drove the invaders back into the chambers and gallantly hailed countrymen! Very lightly distance.What happened in London the same run route avoids the territory of Argos which! Distance than 26 miles, and other podcast platforms much greater distance than 26 miles and! Dedicated to Pan whereas Pheidippides is said to have run from Marathon to Athens the day! Persia at the battle of Marathon, April 19, 1897McDermott wins again starting...