MARATHON: "Give them nothing, but take from them everything." ~Leonidas

On a flat expanse in the city of Marathon, an outnumbered and overmatched Greek army fought against the mighty Persian invaders and won. Legend has it that a messenger was sent running to Athens--a distance of 25 miles away--to deliver the news that the Greek army had defeated the Persians. As the story goes, the messenger delivered this great news and then died on the spot from exhaustion. The name and the original distance of our modern marathon race comes from this legend, although the distance was extended to 26.2 miles during the 1896 Olympics and never reverted to the 25 mile run.

I marvel at how delicate the tapestry of history is. The victory at Marathon provided a pathway to the foundation for much of what we know and appreciate of Western Civilization. Had the Persians defeated the Athenians, the world and life would most certainly be drastically different. Listen to retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Jim Lacey discuss the battle and the implications of the victory with NPR host Neal Conan:

https://www.npr.org/transcripts/135710868