The Battle of Marathon: Blistered Feet and Fierce Fighting

The Battle of Marathon was a historical conflict that took place in ancient Greece in 490 BC. This battle is renowned for the Marathon race, which was named after a soldier who ran 26 miles from the battle site to Athens to deliver the victory news before collapsing and dying soon after. But let’s be real, the battle itself was the real show.

The Underdogs Vs The Big Bad Empire

To give you a little background, the Athenians, who were vastly outnumbered, were facing off against the Persians. The Persians were led by Darius I, who was like the Kim Jong-un of his time, and his son-in-law Mardonius, who was like the Impostor of Persia among the cool kids.

The Greeks, knowing that they were the underdogs, tried to come up with a fool-proof plan. They hired a strategist named Miltiades, who was like the Machiavelli of his time but actually good at his job.

Painful Footwear Choice

On the day of the battle, the Athenians easily took out the Persian archers and quickly charged towards their enemy. Unfortunately, the Athenians hadn’t come prepared with proper running shoes. They had worn their best Sunday sandals and now had to fight a war with blistered feet.

The Athenians were not going to let their poor footwear choice defeat them. They fought fiercely, stabbing the Persians with their spears and slicing-with their swords. The Persians were shocked by how determined and painful the Greeks were.

The Perfect Ending

Soon enough, the Persians were defeated, and the Athenians had won an epic battle. To commemorate the victory, they organized the first-ever marathon race, which, as we mentioned earlier, ended with the runner collapsing and dying.

So, that’s the story of the Battle of Marathon. It was a bloody battle, but the Greeks won against all odds. And, these days, if you feel tired after running a marathon, at least you know you didn’t have to do it with a blistered feet while trying to kill someone along the way.