---
title: "Marathon and Thermopylae"
description: "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 Spart"
canonical: https://lightmysky.com/learn/history/marathon-and-thermopylae-mt_14F_x1Xwwp
source: https://lightmysky.com/learn/history/marathon-and-thermopylae-mt_14F_x1Xwwp.md
retrieved: 2026-10-19
---

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# 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.

Subject: History · Area: Ancient Greece & Rome · Ages 7 to 9
Page: https://lightmysky.com/learn/history/marathon-and-thermopylae-mt_14F_x1Xwwp

## Ready when they can

- 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

## Lesson: Marathon and Thermopylae

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.

**Example.** 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.

*(drawing: The two battles happened ten years apart.)*

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.

**Recap.** Greek allies won at Marathon and lost at Thermopylae. They later stopped the invasion. The marathon victory run is a later legend.

## Practice

8 questions on this page, each with its working shown.

## Needs first

- [Athens Versus Sparta](https://lightmysky.com/learn/history/athens-versus-sparta-mt_CSGqz245rV)

## Opens up

- [Alexander the Great's Empire](https://lightmysky.com/learn/history/alexander-the-greats-empire-mt_XMz_ohNjYO)