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Marathon
Accommodations
in Athens
A trip to Marathon and a visit to the archaeological site and
its museum is one of the things you must do when in Athens. Marathon
is still one of Attica's loveliest spots, as you are bound to
find out long before you reach your destination. The road passes
through vegetable gardens, vineyards, olive groves and wilde
vegetation which are nature's contribution to the uniqueness
of this land. There are many lovely beaches where you can swim
and
sunbathe. Your trip to Marathon can be combined with a visit
to the archaeological site of Ramnous, which is only 12 km's
away.
The
main source of information about the battle of MArathon is the
ancient historian Herodotus. According to him, the Persian fleet
landed 100000 troops in Marathon, in the year 490 B.C. Against
this huge army there were only 11000 Greek soldiers. The Greeks
were victorious, thanks to an ingenious plan of the Greek army
commander, Miltiades. Following the heroic victory, Pheidippides,
an Athenian soldier who was dispatched to bring the good news
to the city, ran all the way from the battlefield to the Athenian
Agora. He collapsed and died immediately
after he delivered his one word message: Nenikikamen (We have
won). Pheidippides' run is the event which today's MArathon runs
commemorate and which is symbolized by the opening ceremony at
each Olympic Games. |
