September 12th

On this day – 12th of September 490 BC - The Battle of Marathon

The battle of Marathon was fought between the Greek and the Persian empires. It was a part of the first attempt to subjugate Greece by Persian troops. The Greek troops defeated the much larger Persian troop, and the battle was a turningpoint in the Greek-Persian wars. The battle has played a role in todays society as well, because this battle gave the name and the distance for today’s Marathon. Ever wondered why a Marathon is 42km (26 miles)? The Greek soldier, Pheildippides was allegedly sent from the battlefield to Athens with news of the Greek victory. He arrived in Athens, exclaimed, “We have won” and died. The accuracy of this is highly debated, but already in the first modern Olympic Games, in 1896, was Marathon included as a competition.