Marathon and Thermopylae
Describe Marathon and Thermopylae during the Persian invasions. Distinguish the later legend of Pheidippides carrying victory news from an earlier account of his journey to Sparta. Recognize the Spartan and other Greek defenders at Thermopylae, and explain why some Greek city-states allied to defend their independence.
What a learner can do afterwards
- Describe the Greek victory at Marathon and identify the victory-run story as a later legend
- Describe how Spartans and other Greek allies defended the narrow route at Thermopylae
- Explain that some Greek city-states allied to defend their independence against Persian invasion
1 · Read
You have met Athens and Sparta, two separate Greek city-states. During the Persian Wars, some Greek states joined together against invading Persian armies. Others did not join them. The allies wanted to keep ruling their own cities. This independence did not mean everyone in those cities had equal rights.
At Marathon, soldiers from Athens and Plataea defeated a Persian army. Plataea was another Greek city-state. This was a Greek victory, but it did not end every conflict with Persia.
An early account says Pheidippides ran from Athens to Sparta before the battle to ask for help. A later legend says he ran from Marathon to Athens after the battle with victory news. These are different journeys. The marathon race takes its name from the later legend. That legend is not a proven report.
Ten years after Marathon, Persia invaded again. At Thermopylae, King Leonidas led 300 Spartans alongside other Greek defenders. They guarded a narrow route between mountains and the sea. Its small space limited how many attackers could fight at once. The defenders delayed the larger Persian army, but Persia won this battle.
Losing one battle did not end the whole invasion. After Thermopylae, Greek allies continued fighting. They later won other battles and stopped the invasion. A battle's result and a whole war's result can differ.
Greek allies won at Marathon and lost at Thermopylae. They later stopped the invasion. The marathon victory run is a later legend.
Original readings and cards written for this dataset about comparing runner accounts and identifying the defenders at Thermopylae.
More to read
Check the journey
To compare the runner accounts, ask where the journey starts, where it ends and why the runner goes.
The early account sends Pheidippides from Athens to Sparta before the Battle of Marathon. He asks for help. The later legend sends him from Marathon to Athens after the battle. He brings victory news.
Those differences matter. Combining both accounts into one journey changes the story. The marathon race recalls the later legend, which is not a proven report.
Who does 300 count?
The number 300 counts the Spartans led by Leonidas. It does not count all the Greek defenders who took part at Thermopylae. Other Greek communities sent men too.
Many defenders later withdrew. Leonidas and many who remained were killed, but not every Greek participant died. Saying that all the allies died would leave out the people who left or survived.
Persia won this battle. The Greek alliance continued fighting afterward.
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