We Were Victorious!

Pheidippides was a man whose prowess and mythology lead to a sport which: to a few means lifelong dedication, to some means personal achievement but to most means cold afternoons dragging mud soaked plimsolls across the tarmacked fields of their schools local park. But what is the story behind the modern day Marathon introduced by Pierre de Coubertin, with the strong backing of Michel Breal, to the 1896 inaugural Olympic games. Having researched this (mainly Wikipedia I’ll admit as I’m not producing a thesis on the subject) I found a number of varying stories as to the true origin of Pheidippides’ myth but most agree on the following details:
 

King Darius I (aka Darius The Great) was ruler of Persia during the height of its power (550-486 BC) and arguably the Middle East’s most prolific war-monger. It is with little surprise then that in 490 BC after having been insulted with rebellion by his subjugates and their allies, he responded with vengeful fury on the Aegean states. A decade earlier Athens and their neighbours the Eretrians had sent aid to the Ionian Revolt hoping to end Archamenid rule in the region and further their own influence. Darius eventually put down this revolt and, after crushing all remaining odours of decent in Ionia, turned his attentions to the meddlesome guilty parties and on fulfilling his promise to Burn Their Cities to the Ground.

To ensure their rulers harsh justice was dispatched and there were no further thoughts of uprising in the area, Darius’ naval generals Datis and Artaphernes were sent with their armada to the Hellenistic states. After a number of early successes taking the Cyclades islands and Eretria, Athens was up next for assault and Marathon was to be the launching pad for their incursion. Waiting for them was the distinguished general Miltiades The Younger and 10,000 of Athens’ celebrated Hoplites (joined by a number of Plataeans).

Outnumbered two-to-one and hoping for the support of Sparta, Miltiades sent Pheidippides the staggering 140km with a message of desperation and expectation (an excursion that inspired the punishing Spartathlon). Unfortunately the 300 of Thermopylae had long since passed away and what was left of Sparta’s great warriors seemed reluctant to help (citing religious obligation as the reason for delay). The Athenian Generals held there position for five long days in the hope of reinforcement but none came. It was sheer luck and tactical genius that broke the deadlock when Persian cavalry movements inspired Miltiades to launch an offensive and drive the invading army back to the sea. 

It is at this point that we have historians such as Plutarch recounting Pheidippides’ race back to Athens to deliver the good news and upon arriving crying "Nenikēkamen!" (We were Victorious) then dying from exhaustion. 

Although a romantic story it is widely agreed that the following is closer to the truth: Having been defeated at Marathon Datis and Artaphernes’ only chance of saving face was to send their fleet to the undefended city of Athens and pray for an easy victory. Miltiades knew this and ran his army of battled-worn Hoplites the 42 km (26 miles) back to the capital to fend of this new wave of attack (inadvertently completing  the first ‘Marathon’). Eventually the Persians conceded defeat and so began the slow decline of the great Archamenid Empire, finally ending in 330 BC at the hands of another great Greek hero of antiquity, Alexander The Great.

 

So there you have it, despite being full of holes and probably massively inconsistent the story of Marathon and the great Athenian messenger Pheidippides is a fascinating yarn and a fable that inspired such titans of athletics as: Haile Gebreselassie, Paula Radcliffe, Mensen Ernst and Forest Gump.