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Pheidippides Runs
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Pheidippides Runs
BATTLE OF MARATHON Athenian courier Pheidippides sent to Sparta to request help when the Persians landed at Marathon in 490 BC, died after completing his run
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Media ID 4331662
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Athenian Athlete Completing Courier Died Landed Marathon Persian Persians Request Runner Runs Sparta Wars
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This image depicts the legendary Greek courier Pheidippides in the midst of his legendary run from Marathon to Sparta during the historic Battle of Marathon in 490 BC. The Athenian messenger, dressed in the traditional attire of a Greek runner, is shown in full stride, his determined gaze fixed on the distant horizon as he carries out his crucial mission. The Battle of Marathon marked a pivotal moment in ancient Greek history, as the Persian army, led by King Xerxes I, had invaded Greece with an immense force. The small city-state of Athens, under the leadership of the legendary military commander Miltiades, managed to repel the Persian invasion in the ensuing battle. However, the Greeks knew they could not hold out against the Persians for long without external help. Enter Pheidippides, an Athenian courier who was dispatched to the city of Sparta to request military aid. The distance between Marathon and Sparta was significant, and the urgency of the situation demanded that Pheidippides deliver the message as quickly as possible. And so, the story goes, he set off on his run, covering the approximately 140 miles (225 kilometers) in just a few days. Upon reaching Sparta, Pheidippides delivered the message, and the Spartans, led by King Leonidas, immediately set out to march north to help their fellow Greeks. The combined Greek forces ultimately defeated the Persians in the Battle of Plataea, marking the end of the first Persian invasion of Greece. Tragically, the story of Pheidippides does not end there. It is said that upon completing his run to Sparta and delivering the message, he collapsed and died from exhaustion. His heroic act of self-sacrifice has since been immortalized in Greek mythology and history, with the Marathon race held every year in Athens serving as a testament to his enduring legacy.
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