THE FIRST MARATHON.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXVI, Issue 48, 26 November 1909, Page 3

THE FIRST MARATHON.

In view of recent Marathon races it is interesting to recall the origin of" the event. It is given in Itollin's history as follows:—A great battle was fought between the Persians and the- ' Greeks. The Persian army was commanded, by Datis, and consisted of 100,000 foot and 10,000 mounted soldiers; that of the Athenians amounted to 10,000 men in all, and was headed by 10 generals, of whom Miltiades was the chief. The result of the battle was that the Athenians were successful, and immediately after the battle an Athenian soldier named Pheidippides quitted the army and ran to Athens to carry the news to his fellow-oitizons. When he arrived at the magistrate's house, he only uttered the words. "Rejoice, the victory is ours," and ho fell down and died. ' The Persians were so sure of victory that they provided a marble at Marathon to be erected as a monument. The Greeks took this marble, ,and caused a statue to be made of it by Phidias in honor of the goddess Nemesis, who had a temple near the site of the battlo, Marathon is situated about 20 miles from Athens.