Marathon, Greece: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 12:43, 11 October 2005

Latest revision as of 09:03, 22 August 2025

(475 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown)

Line 1:

{{Short description|Town in Greece}}

{| border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="1" style="float:right; empty-cells:show; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:0,5em; background:#FFDEAD;"

{{Other uses|Marathon (disambiguation)}}

<!--! Seal

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2025}}

! Map

{{Infobox Greek Dimos

|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"

| name = Marathon

| align="center" |

| name_local = Μαραθώνας

!

| type = municipality

|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"

| image_map = 2011 Dimos Marathonos.png

! align="center" | [[Image:MarathonGreece.png]]

| periph = [[Attica (region)|Attica]]

! align="center" | [[Image:GreecedotonMarathon.png]]

| periphunit = [[East Attica]]

|--->

| pop_municipality = 31331

! align="center" colspan="2" | Statistics

| area_municipality = 222.75

|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"

| pop_municunit = 10063

| [[Prefectures of Greece|Prefecture]]: || [[Attica]]

| area_municunit = 97.06

|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"

| population_as_of = 2021

| [[Metropolitan Area]]: || [[Athens]]

| elevation = 33

|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" valign="top"

| coordinates = {{coord|38|9|12|N|23|57|43|E|display=inline,title}}

| Location:<br>Latitude:<br>Longitude:||<br>38.119 (38°9'11') N lat.</br> 23.961 (23°57'35) E long.

| postal_code = 190 07

<!--|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"

| area_code = 22940

| Area:<br>-Total<br>-Water<br>-Rank||<br> km²<br> km²<br>[[List of municipalities of Greece by area|Rank xxth]]

| licence = Z

|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"

| image_skyline = The town of Marathon, Greece.jpg

| Dwellings: ||-->

| caption_skyline = The town of Marathon

|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"

| city_flag =

| Population: ([[1991]])<br>&nbsp;- Total<br>&nbsp;- Density¹<br>&nbsp;- Rank||<br>&nbsp;8,488<br><br>&nbsp;/km</small><br>

| city_seal =

|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"

| districts =

| Elevation:<br>&nbsp;-lowest:<br>&nbsp;-centre:<br>&nbsp;-highest:||<br>sea level<br>28 m(centre)<br>around 500 to 800 m

| mayor = [[Stergios Tsirkas]]<ref name=mayor>[https://ekloges.ypes.gr/current/d/home/en/municipalities/9220/ Municipality of Marathon, Municipal elections – October 2023], Ministry of Interior</ref>

|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"

| party =

| [[List of postal codes in Greece|Postal code]]: || 190 07

| since = 2019

|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"

| website = [http://www.marathon.gr www.marathon.gr]

| [[Area codes in Greece|Area/distance code]]: || 11-30-[[Greece dialing code 22940|22940]] (030-22940)<br>-6

}}

|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"

{{Special characters}}

| [[YPES|Statistical code]]: || 03

|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"

| [[License plates in Greece|Car designation]]: || <code>Y</code> (prev.)<br><code>Z</code> pres.

|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"

| 3-letter abbreviation: || MRA

<!--|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"

| Name of inhabitants: ||-->

|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"

| Address of administration: || 25 Vas. Konstantinou St.<br>Vari 166 72

|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"

| Website: || [http://www.marathon.gr www.marathon.gr]

<!--|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"

! colspan="2" | Politics

|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"

| [[Mayor]]: ||-->

|}

'''Marathon''' ([[GreekDemotic language|Greek]], I SMELL REALLY BAD Modern: Μαραθώνας, ''MarathonaMarathónas''; or ''Marathonas'', [[Ancient Greek|Attic]]/[[Katharevousa]]: {{lang|grc|Μαραθών}}, "Marathon"''Marathṓn'') is a town in [[Greece]], and the site of the [[battleBattle of Marathon]] in [[490 BC]]BCE, in which the heavily outnumbered [[Classical Athens|Athenian]] army defeated the [[Persian Empire|Persia]]ns. Legend Ahas legendaryit runthat of[[Pheidippides]], a messenger namedGreek [[Phidippides (Marathon runner)|Phidippidesherald]] at the battle, was sent running from Marathon to Athens, ato distanceannounce of 26.2the milesvictory, afterwhich is how the battle[[marathon]] formsrunning therace basiswas forconceived thein modern-day times.{{refn|group=n|In [[marathonmodern (sport)|marathonGreek]] race. When the messengersports arrivedevent inis Athens,called he''Marathonios shouted "NENIKIKAMEN"Dromos'' (we were{{lang|el|Μαραθώνιος victoriousΔρόμος}}) andor diedsimply ''Marathonios''.}} LaterToday forit mourningis Athens'part soldiers,of aEast moundAttica wasregional made.unit, Todayin therethe isoutskirts of Athens and a parkpopular aroundresort thistown and center of moundagriculture.

==History==

Marathon (μάραθον) is the Greek word for '''''[[fennel]]'''''. It is believed that the town was originally named so because of an abundance of fennel plants in the area.

[[File:Oinoi Frankish Tower - Near Marathon, May 2014 - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Ruins of a Frankish tower near Marathon]]

The name "Marathon" ({{lang|el|Μαραθών}}) comes from the herb [[fennel]], called ''márathon'' ({{lang|grc|μάραθον}}) or ''márathos'' ({{lang|grc|μάραθος}}) in Ancient Greek,<ref name="marathon(the plant)LSJreference">{{LSJ|ma/raqon|μάραθον|ref}}.</ref>{{refn|group=n|The Greek word for ''fennel'' is first attested in [[Mycenaean Greek|Mycenaean]] [[Linear B]] on tablets [[Mycenae|MY]] Ge 602, MY Ge 606 + fr., MY Ge 605 + 607 + frr. + 60Sa + 605b - as {{lang|gmy|𐀔𐀨𐀶𐀺}}, ''ma-ra-tu-wo''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.palaeolexicon.com/ShowWord.aspx?Id=16801 |title=The Linear B word ma-ra-tu-wo |publisher=Palaeolexicon. Word study tool of Ancient languages |access-date=19 March 2014 |archive-date=7 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307162420/http://palaeolexicon.com/showword.aspx?id=16801 |url-status=live }} {{cite web |last=Raymoure |first=K.A. |url=http://minoan.deaditerranean.com/resources/linear-b-sign-groups/ma/ma-ra-tu-wo/ |title=ma-ra-tu-wo |work=Minoan Linear A & Mycenaean Linear B |publisher=Deaditerranean |access-date=19 March 2014 |archive-date=5 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190705082730/http://minoan.deaditerranean.com/resources/linear-b-sign-groups/ma/ma-ra-tu-wo/ |url-status=dead }} {{cite web |title=MY 602 Ge (57) |url=https://www2.hf.uio.no/damos/Index/item/chosen_item_id/5572 |access-date=19 March 2014 |archive-date=25 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140725030452/https://www2.hf.uio.no/damos/Index/item/chosen_item_id/5572 |url-status=live }} {{cite web |title=MY 606 Ge + fr. (57) |url=https://www2.hf.uio.no/damos/Index/item/chosen_item_id/5576 |access-date=19 March 2014 |archive-date=29 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170629040154/https://www2.hf.uio.no/damos/Index/item/chosen_item_id/5576 |url-status=live }} {{cite web |title=MY 605 Ge + 607 + fr. [+] 60Sa + fr. [+] 605b + frr. (57) |website=DĀMOS: Database of Mycenaean at Oslo |url=https://www2.hf.uio.no/damos/Index/item/chosen_item_id/5575 |publisher=[[University of Oslo]] |access-date=19 March 2014 |archive-date=25 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140725014908/https://www2.hf.uio.no/damos/Index/item/chosen_item_id/5575 |url-status=live }}</ref>}} so ''Marathon'' literally means "a place full of fennel".<ref name="Marathon(the place)LSJreference">{{LSJ|*maraqw/n|Μαραθών|shortref}}.</ref> It is believed that the town was originally named so because of an abundance of fennel plants in the area.

The sophist and magnate [[Herodes Atticus]] was born in Marathon.

In ancient times, Marathon ({{langx|grc|Μαραθών}}) occupied a small plain in the northeast of [[ancient Attica]], which contained four places, Marathon, [[Probalinthus]], [[Tricorythus]], and [[Oenoe (Attica)|Oenoe]], which originally formed the [[Tetrapolis (Attica)|Tetrapolis]], one of the 12 districts into which Attica was divided before the time of [[Theseus]]. Here [[Xuthus]], who married the daughter of [[Erechtheus]], is said to have reigned; and here the [[Heracleidae]] took refuge when driven out of the [[Peloponnese]], and defeated [[Eurystheus]].<ref>{{Cite Strabo|viii. p.383}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Stephanus|''sub voce'' Τετμάπολις.}}</ref> The Marathonii claimed to be the first people in Greece who paid divine honours to [[Heracles]], who possessed a sanctuary in the plain.<ref>{{Cite Pausanias|1|15|3}}, 1.35.4.</ref> Marathon is also celebrated in the legends of Theseus, who conquered the ferocious bull, which used to devastate the plain.<ref>[[Plutarch]], ''Thes.'' 14; {{Cite Strabo|ix. p. 399}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Pausanias|1|27|10}}</ref> Marathon is mentioned in [[Homer|Homer's]] ''[[Odyssey]]'' in a way that implies that it was then a place of importance.<ref>{{Cite Odyssey|7.80}}</ref> In mythology, its name was derived from an eponymous hero [[Marathon (mythology)|Marathon]], who is described by Pausanias as a son of [[Epopeus (king of Sicyon)|Epopeus]], king of [[Sicyon]], who fled into Attica in consequence of the cruelty of his father.<ref>{{Cite Pausanias|2|1|1}}, 2.6.5, 1.15.3, 1.32.4</ref> [[Plutarch]] calls him an [[ancient Arcadia|Arcadian]], who accompanied the [[Dioscuri]] in their expedition into Attica, and voluntarily devoted himself to death before the battle.<ref>[[Plutarch]], ''Thes.'' 32.</ref>

In [[1925]] a dam was constructed by the American company ULEN in a valley above Marathon, in order to ensure water supply for [[Athens]]. It was completed in [[1930]]. About 10 km² of forested land were flooded to form [[Lake Marathon]]. The Dionysos-Nea Makri road, part of [[Greece Interstate 83|GR-83]], passes through a traffic-light-controlled one-lane driveway on the crest of the dam wall. The plain area lies to the southeast.

After Theseus united the 12 independent districts of Attica into one state, the name of Tetrapolis gradually fell into disuse; and the four places of which it consisted became Attic demi, Marathon, Tricorythus, and Oenoë belonging to the tribe [[Aeantis]], and Probalinthus to the tribe [[Pandionis]]; but Marathon was so superior to the other three, that its name was applied to the whole district down to the latest times. Hence [[Lucian]] speaks of "the parts of Marathon about Oenoë".<ref>Μαραθῶνος τὰ περὶ τὴν Οἰνόην, ''Icaro-Menip.'' 18.</ref>

The beach of Schinias is located southeast of the town: it is a popular [[windsurfing]] spot and the Olympic Rowing Center for the [[2004 Summer Olympics]] is also located there.

Few places have obtained such celebrity in the history of the world as Marathon, on account of the victory which the Athenians here gained over the [[ancient Persia|Persians]] in 490&nbsp;BCE ([[Battle of Marathon]]). After [[Miltiades the Younger|Miltiades]] (the general of the Greek forces) defeated [[Darius I of Persia|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.

At the [[2004 Summer Olympics]] Marathon was the starting point for both men and women [[marathon (sport)|marathon]] races.

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.

The rainstorm on [[September 2005|September 16, 2005]] ruined farmlands and flooded roads as well as houses, buildings and other properties. One incident was a thunder stroke a house and caused a fire with no major damages and several another that it also caused small forest fires. Crops were also ruined, a road were flooded which firefighters drained out all the water away. The rain later dissipated within the evening hours.

In the 19th century and beginning of twentieth century the village was inhabited by an [[Arvanites|Arvanite]] population.<ref>Chase, Thomas, ''Hellas, her monuments and scenery,'' Sever and Francis, Cambridge, pp. 102–103 [https://archive.org/details/hellashermonumen00chas]</ref><ref>Hichens, ''The Near East, Dalmatia, Greece and Constantiople'', Hodder and Stoght, London, 1913, p. 116. [https://archive.org/details/neareastdalmatia00hichuoft]</ref>

==Historical population==

[[File:Plain of Marathon 1.jpg|thumb|Plain of Marathon]]

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"11

[[File:Marathon-See - Staumauer 2011.jpg|thumb|View of the [[Lake Marathon]]]]

|- bgcolor="#efefef"

! Year !! Communal population !! Change !! Municipal population <!--!! Change -->

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&nbsp;km² of forested land were flooded to form [[Lake Marathon]].

[[File:Statue Niké - Marathon (GRA2) - 2022-03-21 - 3.jpg|thumb|right|[[Nike of Marathon|Marathon battle memorial]].]]

The beach of Schinias is located southeast of the town. The beach is popular as a spot for [[windsurfing]] and the [[Schinias Olympic Rowing and Canoeing Centre|Olympic Rowing Center]] used for the [[2004 Summer Olympics]] is also located there.

At the [[1896 Summer Olympics|1896]] and [[2004 Summer Olympics]], Marathon was the starting point of the [[marathon (sport)|marathon]] races (for both women and men in 2004).<ref name=dw>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.</ref><ref>[http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/2004/or2004b.pdf 2004 Summer Olympics official report.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080819195306/http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/2004/or2004b.pdf |date=19 August 2008 }} Volume 2. p. 242.</ref> Marathon is also the starting point for the annual [[Athens Classic Marathon]].

The area is susceptible to [[flash flooding]], because of forest fires having denuded parts of the eastern slopes of [[Mount Pentelicus]] especially in 2006.

==Municipality==

The municipality of Marathon was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 4 former municipalities, that became municipal units:<ref name=Kallikratis>{{Cite web |url=http://www.et.gr/idocs-nph/search/pdfViewerForm.html?args=5C7QrtC22wGYK2xFpSwMnXdtvSoClrL81-32jgAMSfbnMRVjyfnPUeJInJ48_97uHrMts-zFzeyCiBSQOpYnT00MHhcXFRTsb2fGphpq4MKX2ZkaHobySNnvZCNHXvYVvlf80XevW0Q. |title=ΦΕΚ B 1292/2010, Kallikratis reform municipalities |language=el |publisher=[[Government Gazette (Greece)|Government Gazette]] |access-date=10 September 2021 |archive-date=6 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306232154/http://www.et.gr/idocs-nph/search/pdfViewerForm.html?args=5C7QrtC22wGYK2xFpSwMnXdtvSoClrL81-32jgAMSfbnMRVjyfnPUeJInJ48_97uHrMts-zFzeyCiBSQOpYnT00MHhcXFRTsb2fGphpq4MKX2ZkaHobySNnvZCNHXvYVvlf80XevW0Q. |url-status=live }}</ref>

* [[Grammatiko]]

*Marathon

* [[Nea Makri]]

* [[Varnavas]]

The municipality has an area of 222.747&nbsp;km² and the municipal unit 97.062&nbsp;km².<ref name=stat01>{{cite web |url=http://dlib.statistics.gr/Book/GRESYE_02_0101_00098%20.pdf |publisher=National Statistical Service of Greece |title=Population & housing census 2001 (incl. area and average elevation) |language=el |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150921212047/http://dlib.statistics.gr/Book/GRESYE_02_0101_00098%20.pdf |archive-date=21 September 2015}}</ref>

==Population==

{| class=wikitable

! Year !! Town !! Municipal unit !! Municipality

|-

| [[1981]] || 4,841 || - || - <!--|| - -->

|-

| [[1991]] || 5,453 || 612/12.62% || 12,979<!-- || -

|-

| [[2001]] || -4,399 || -8,882 || - || - -->

|-

| 2011 || 7,170 || 12,849 || 33,423

|-

| 2021 || 5,260 || 10,063 || 31,331

|}

The other settlements in the municipal unit are Agios Panteleimonas, Kato Souli, Vranas, Avra, Vothon, Ano Souli, and Schinias.

== Points of interest ==

Other settlements include Limni Marathona which the population is only 16 in 1991.

[[File:Marathon, the mound of the Plataeans.jpg|thumb|The ''Soros'', a burial mound ([[Marathon tumuli]]) to the fallen of the [[Battle of Marathon]]]]

* The ''Soros'', a [[tumulus]] (Greek '' Τύμβος, tymbos'', tomb), or burial mound, erected to the 192 Athenian fallen at the Battle of Marathon, is a feature of the coastal plain, now marked by a marble memorial [[stele]] and surrounded by a small park.<ref>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.</ref>

* [[Kato Souli Naval Transmission Facility]] with its {{convert|250|m|adj=on}} tall radio mast, the tallest structure in Greece.

==Sister cities==

[[Image:ac.marathon.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The plain of Marathon today]]

* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Hopkinton, Massachusetts]], United States

* {{flagicon|China}} [[Xiamen]], China

==See also==

[[Image:Marathondam.gif|thumb|right|The Marathon Dam]]

* [[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

{{reflist|group=n}}

;References

{{Reflist}}

==Attribution==

{{DGRG|title=Marathon}}

==Bibliography==

* {{cite journal |last1=Δεκουλάκου |first1=Ιφιγένεια |title=Ανασκαφή στο ιερό των Αιγυπτίων θεών στον Μαραθώνα |journal=Πρακτικά Αρχαιολογικής Εταιρείας |date=2021 |volume=176 |pages=19–32}}

==External links==

{{commons category|Marathonas}}

* [http://www.marathon.gr Official web site] {{in lang|el}}

*'''Map and aerial photos''':

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100210135037/http://www.e-marathon.gr/ www.e-marathon.gr (in Greek)]

**Street map: [http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?latlongtype=decimal&latitude=23.961&longitude=38.119&zoom=6 Street map from Mapquest], [http://maps.msn.com/map.aspx?&lats1=23.961&lons1=38.119&alts1=35 MapPoint] or [http://maps.google.com/maps?||=23.961,38.119 Google]

**Satellite images: [http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=38.119,23.961&spn=0.11,0.18&t=k Google] - image now available

*Coordinates: {{coor dms|38|9|11|N|23|57|35|E|region:GR}}

{{Geographic ___location

<br><br><br>

|Centre = Marathon

<table width = 75% border = 2 align="center">

|North = [[Grammatiko]]

<tr><td width = 35% align="center">'''Northwest:''' [[Kapandriti]] and [[Varnavas]] (both communes)

|Northeast =

<td width = 30% align="center">'''North:''' [[Grammatiko]] (commune)</td>

|East = ''[[Petalioi Gulf]]''

<td width = 35% align="center">'''Northeast:''' Grammatiko, Aegean Sea

|Southeast =

</td></tr>

|South = [[Nea Makri]]

<tr>

|Southwest = [[Stamata]]

<td width = 10% align="center">'''West:''' [[Stamata]] (commune)<br> </td>

|West = [[Kapandriti]], [[Afidnes]]

<td width = 35% align="center">'''Marathon'''</td>

|Northwest = [[Varnavas]]

<td width = 30% align="center">'''East:''' [[Aegean Sea]]<td>

}}

<tr><td width = 35% align="center">'''Southwest:''' [[Rodopoli]] (commune)

<td width = 30% align="center">'''South:''' [[Nea Makri]]?</td>

<td width = 35% align="center">

</table>

{{Kallikratis-Attica}}

==See also==

{{Marathon div}}

{{1896 Summer Olympic venues}}

{{2004 Summer Olympic venues}}

{{Olympic venues athletics}}

{{Olympic venues cycling}}

{{Authority control}}

*[[List of municipalities of Attica]], [[Communities of Attica]]

[[Category:Marathon, Greece| ]]

[[Category:Venues of the 1896 Summer Olympics]]

[[Category:Venues of the 2004 Summer Olympics]]

[[Category:Olympic athletics venues]]

[[Category:Olympic cycling venues]]

[[Category:Cities in ancient Attica]]

[[Category:Populated places in East Attica]]

[[Category:Battle of Marathon]]

[[Category:Demoi]]

[[Category:Ancient Greek cities]]

[[Category:AthensPopulated places in ancient Attica]]

[[Category:CitiesPlaces andin towns inGreek Greecemythology]]

[[Category:Arvanite settlements]]

[[de:Marathon (Griechenland)]]

[[fr:Marathon (ville)]]

[[ja:マラトン]]

[[no:Marathon]]

[[pl:Maraton (miasto)]]

[[ru:Марафон]]

[[sv:Marathon]]