AnOlympicStory:PhidippidesandtheOriginsoftheMarathonThecitiesofGreecewereatwarwithPersiaandintheyear490B.C.Greecewasnotasinglecountryatthattime,butratheracollectionofsometimes-hostilecity-states.City-statesincludeamaincityandtheareasurroundingthatcity.ThePersianArmyhadalreadycapturedanumberofGreekislandsandcontinueditsexpansion.HopingtotakeAthens,thePersianArmylandedalargeforceontheplainsofMarathon,justoutsidethecity,wheretheypreparedtheirattack.TheAthenianArmywasgreatlyoutnumberedandtheyknewthattheywouldbeunabletosurvivethePersianattackwithouthelp.Indesperation,thegreatmessengerPhidippideswassenttothecityofSpartatoaskforhelp.Heissaidtohavetravelledthe250-kilometrecourseinonly36hours.Spartaagreedtohelp,buttheywouldbeunabletoarriveintimetosavetheAtheniansbecausetheSpartanswereobservingareligiousfestival.Theywouldarrivelongafterthebattlehadbeenfought.Phidippidesranback,用心爱心专心another250-kilometres,toinformtheAtheniangeneralsofthenews.ThedesperateAthenians,whowereoutnumberedfourtoone,organizedasurpriseattackonthePersianformations,andmanagedagainstalloddstodefeatthemanddriveawaytheirenemies.Asthelegendgoes,Phidippidesthenranmorethan40kilometresbacktoAthenstobringnewsoftheirvictory,anddiedashortwhilelaterfromexhaustion.ItisafterPhidippides?finalrun,fromMarathontoAthens,thatthe41.3kilometreMarathonraceisnamed.PhidippidesTheMarathoncourseofthe2004AthensParalympicGamesfollowedthesameroutethatPhidippidesissaidtohavetakeninancienttimes,andthissamecoursewastakenbyrunnersinthefirstmodernOlympicGamesin1896.用心爱心专心
