Marathon, Greece

Marathon Μαραθώνας
The plain of Marathon today
Marathon
Location within the region
Coordinates: 38°9′N 23°57′E / 38.150°N 23.950°ECoordinates: 38°9′N 23°57′E / 38.150°N 23.950°E
Country	Greece
Administrative region	Attica
Regional unit	East Attica
Government
• Mayor	Ilias Psinakis
Area
• Municipality	226.6 km^2 (87.5 sq mi)
• Municipal unit	97.1 km^2 (37.5 sq mi)
Elevation	28 m (92 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population (2011)[1]
• Municipality	33,423
• Municipality density	150/km^2 (380/sq mi)
• Municipal unit	12,849
• Municipal unit density	130/km^2 (340/sq mi)
Community
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code	190 07
Area code(s)	22940
Vehicle registration	Z
Website	www.marathon.gr

Marathon (Demotic Greek: Μαραθώνας, Marathónas; Attic/Katharevousa: Μαραθών, Marathṓn) is a town in Greece, the site of the battle of Marathon in 490 BC, in which the heavily outnumbered Athenian army defeated the Persians. The tumulus or burial mound (Greek Τύμβος, tymbos, tomb) of the 192 Athenian dead, also called the "Soros," which was erected near the battlefield, remains a feature of the coastal plain.^[2] The Tymbos is now marked by a marble memorial stele and surrounded by a small park.

History

The name "Marathon" (Μαραθών) comes from the herb fennel, called marathon (μάραθον) or marathos (μάραθος) in Ancient Greek,^{[3][n 1]} so Marathon literally means "a place full of fennels".^[5] It is believed that the town was originally named so because of an abundance of fennel plants in the area.

The burial mound of the Plataeans, fallen at the Battle of Marathon

After Miltiades (the general of the Greek forces) defeated Darius' Persian forces, the Persians decided to sail from Marathon to Athens in order to sack the unprotected city. Miltiades ordered all his hoplite forces to march "double time" back to Athens, so that by the time Darius' troops arrived they saw the same Greek force waiting for them.

The name of the athletic long-distance endurance race, the "marathon",^{[n 2]} comes from the legend of Pheidippides, a Greek soldier and runner who was sent from Marathon to Athens to announce that the Persians had been defeated in the Battle of Marathon.

Although the name Marathon had a positive resonance in Europe in the nineteenth century, for some time that was sullied by the Dilessi murders, which happened nearby in 1870.

In the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century the village was inhabited by an Arvanite population emigrated from Epirus.

View of Lake Marathon

The sophist and magnate Herodes Atticus was born in Marathon. In 1926, the American company ULEN began construction on the Marathon Dam in a valley above Marathon, in order to ensure water supply for Athens. It was completed in 1929. About 10 km² of forested land were flooded to form Lake Marathon.

The beach of Schinias is located southeast of the town and it is a popular windsurfing spot and the Olympic Rowing Center for the 2004 Summer Olympics is also located there. At the 1896 and 2004 Summer Olympics, Marathon was the starting point of the marathon races (for both women and men in 2004).^[6][7] The area is susceptible to flash flooding, because of forest fires having denuded parts of the eastern slopes of Mount Penteli especially in 2006.

Municipality

The municipality Marathon was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 4 former municipalities, that became municipal units:^[8]

• Grammatiko
• Marathon
• Nea Makri
• Varnavas

Population

Year	Town	Municipal unit	Municipality
1981	4,841	-	-
1991	5,453	12,979	-
2001	4,399	8,882	-
2011	7,170	12,849	33,423

The other settlements in the municipal unit are Agios Panteleimonas (pop. 1,591), Kato Souli (2,142), Vranas (1,082), Avra (191), Vothon (177), Ano Souli (232), and Schinias (264).

Points of interest

• Kato Souli Naval Transmission Facility with its 250-metre (820 ft) tall radio mast, the tallest structure in Greece.

Sister cities

• Xiamen, China
• Hopkinton, Massachusetts, United States

See also

• List of municipalities of Attica
• List of settlements in Attica
• Dimitrion Yordanidis, oldest man to have run the marathon, at age 98

Notes and references

Notes

1. The Greek word for fennel is first attested in Mycenaean Linear B on tablets MY Ge 602, MY Ge 606 + fr., MY Ge 605 + 607 + frr. + 60Sa + 605b - as 𐀔𐀨𐀶𐀺, ma-ra-tu-wo.^[4]
2. In modern Greek the sports event is called Marathonios Dromos (Μαραθώνιος Δρόμος) or simply Marathonios.

References

1. "Απογραφή Πληθυσμού - Κατοικιών 2011. ΜΟΝΙΜΟΣ Πληθυσμός" (in Greek). Hellenic Statistical Authority.
2. Aerial photograph in John Boardman, Jasper Griffin and Oswyn Murray, Greece and the Hellenistic World (Oxford History of the Classical World) 1988, vol. I p. 34.
3. μάραθον. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; A Greek–English Lexicon at the Perseus Project.
4. "The Linear B word ma-ra-tu-wo". Palaeolexicon. Word study tool of Ancient languages. Raymoure, K.A. "ma-ra-tu-wo". Minoan Linear A & Mycenaean Linear B. Deaditerranean. "MY 602 Ge (57)". "MY 606 Ge + fr. (57)". "MY 605 Ge + 607 + fr. [+] 60Sa + fr. [+] 605b + frr. (57)". DĀMOS: Database of Mycenaean at Oslo. University of Oslo.
5. Μαραθών in Liddell and Scott.
6. Wallechinsky, David and Jaime Loucky (2008). "Track & Field (Men): Marathon". In The Complete Book of the Olympics: 2008 Edition. London: Aurum Press Limited. p. 133.
7. 2004 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 2. p. 242.
8. Kallikratis law Greece Ministry of Interior (Greek)

External links

• Official web site (Greek)
• www.e-marathon.gr (in Greek)