Now that the Olympics are going on in Athens (my birthplace) I would like to ask this diplomatic question to all gardeners - if you respond, I will comment and in the end I will give the answer.
It is on purpose that this appears in the "herbs" forum.
Dimitri
Do you know what "Marathon" means ??
I proceed because I see no response
In Greek, the vowel on which the intonation of a word is gives a different meaning to the word.
So, "ma' rathon" means fennel - it grows wild in the Mediterranean. From there, "maratho'n" means the prairie with fennels.
and it is in this prairie that a famous battle was fought and won by the Athenians, and they sent a runner to Athens, named Fidippides, to give the news. He ran 42 kilometers and said "we won" and died. It is this run that is commemorated by the Marathon run.
nowadays the name has been abused as "walkathon" and "telethon" and these terms sound funny to anyone sho speaks Greek.
there is a common confusion with the terms "dekathlon" , "pentathlon" and "heptathlon". They come from the nown "a'thlos" which means a deed, an important achievement and "de'ka" (=10), "pe'nte" (=5), " hepta'" (=7) to name the number of sports included - that's why there is no ":L" in these words
Dimitri
I read in one dictionary that I looked at after I read your question today, that there was a plain named Marathon. It didn't say if that was where the battle was fought though. What that the site? and what direction is it from Athens? I think most people on this 'side of the pond', have heard the story of the 42 kilometer run after the battle and that it is commemorated by the Marathon run. Thanks for an interesting question!
Marathon is indeed 42 kilometers northeast of Athens. The origin of the name is commonplace in Greece - a lot of places mean "field of ~ ". It is an area where the battle was fought, a very complicated story that needs maps and a lot of description will make you undertand why it was so important for Fidippides to run to Athens immediately - the Persians got into their boats, surrounded the Attica peninsula and appeared in fornt of he port (Piareus). Fidippides had informed Athens, they had lit big fires to show the Persians there was more army there waiting ofr them. During the same night all Athenian soldiers marched to Athens and were seen on the walls armed and waiting in the morning. In front of this sight the Persians thought Athens had a lot more army , they had already lost a battle the day before, turned their ships around and left for their country.
I only posted this to let you know "ma'rathon" means "fennel" even in modern greek - the word is not altered at all.
thank you for reminding me of all this - it is more than 40 years ago that I studied it in our history class.
Dimitri
Ahhhh! The big show with no army behind them fake-out! That's not the first time that worked, I'll bet! History is fascinating stuff, isn't it?
yes, and breathtaking as well.
Imagine you being there, exhausted from the battle yesterday and the walk for 42 km with all your armour on, what will happen if they don't bite the bait ....
mostly likely the result would have been total annihilation!
I never had to fight in my life. My father fought against the Italians in WW2 and was wounded. He used to say that only fear makes you react so fast, so cruel, so effective - it is either his life or yours at that moment.
Best wishes - may peace and prosperity govern our liives for ever
Dimitri
And back at you! :)
Dimitri
Thank you! I love history I had heard of the 42km run but never in such detail. Thank you again now off to find more on this. One bite is never enough when it comes to finding out something new about something old.
Sandy
Hi, Sandy. I am sure you will find all the nice stuff, especially as the Olympics this year are being held in Athens, and the runners ran the Marathon on the original course, with its ups and downs, through villages and suburbs of Athens, and finished inside the white marble stadium that was especially built for the first modern era Olympics in 1896.
Dimitri