Marathon

A coastal plain on the northeast coast of Attica, Greece, famous for battle between Persians and Athenians in 490 BC and for news of battle being taken by the runner Pheidippides from Marathon to Athens - about 25 miles. The defeat of the Persians is commemorated by the Soros, the large mound where the Athenians were buried, and the tomb of the Plataeans, which seems to be the grave of the Greek allies. Their fine black- and red-figure ware were grave goods. There are many other tombs: an Early Helladic cist grave cemetery, Middle Helladic tumuli, and a Mycenaean tholos tomb with two horses as grave offerings. The area shows evidence for some kind of occupation from Neolithic times, through Helladic, continuously to Classical.

A coastal plain on the northeast coast of Attica and, under classical Athens, location of a deme (subordinate township). The area shows evidence for some kind of occupation from Neolithic times, through Helladic, continuously to Classical. The area gains most fame as site for the Battle of Marathon (490 bc), in which a Persian invasion was successfully repulsed — the good news of which, tradition has it, was conveyed the 35 km to Athens by non-stop runner. In commemoration, the Athenians erected a funeral mound for their dead, with whom they duly buried much fine pottery, both Black-and Red-figure ware. This evidence provides a useful fixed point for the chronology of Greek vase-painting.