Battle of Marathon

The most electrifying attack on Greek territory occurred in 490 BC on the fields of Marathon when 10,000 Athenians triumphed over 30,000 invading Persians.  In 490 BC, Greece was a backwater at a time the Persian Empire boasted the most professional army of its day, defeated only once before in battle.  And yet, the Persians lost 6400 men, and the Greeks a mere 192.   How did Athens’ army, mostly laymen, succeed in routing the famous Persian “immortals”?  Why didn’t the Persians engage their cavalry?  What did the Athenians do to scare off the Persians from attacking Athens after their defeat at Marathon?

You don’t have to be a military history buff to enjoy this tour led by a professional guide.  History comes alive when you have the opportunity to wander the terrain where the Marathon battle took place and walk the extended hallowed grounds where the Athenian soldiers were buried.  In ancient Greece, families privately buried their men who died in battle, but as a sign of honor the 192 Athenian fighters were cremated and buried in a collective tomb.  Visit the Marathon battle site with Nike victory trophy, the Marathon burial grounds and the Marathon Archaeology Museum.

After the Greeks routed the Persians, the soldier-runner Phidippides ran 26.2 miles to tell the Athenians of the Persians’ defeat, announcing “Nike. Nike”  (Victory)    In 1896, Europeans resurrected the ancient Olympic Games and decided to make Phidippides’ route from Marathon to Athens a competition.  Thus was born the modern running marathon.  Today that route is the annual Athens Classic Marathon held every November.   You visit the Marathon Runners Museum housing 4000 exhibits, including the authentic medal of Greek athlete Spyros Louis, winner of the first Olympic Marathon in 1896.

The tour starts in Athens at the Athens War Museum where the guide chronicles the history of Greek warfare from early days up through the centuries with a special emphasis on Greece’s golden era.  Vehicle transfer to Marathon