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The Battle of Marathon + 2500 years

• Message 1.Ìý

  Posted by White Camry (U2321601) on Monday, 17th May 2010

  The Battle of Marathon was fought in 490 BC. That's 2500 years ago.
  
  Economic chaos aside, does Greece plan any commemoration ceremony?

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Nik (U1777139) on Monday, 17th May 2010

  Haha... are you joking? Greece has forgotten even its recent heros of the 1940 epic struggle against Italy and Germany, let alone commemorate an ancient battle. You have to note that while the Persian wars are the wars the most known to the western world, in fact the Greek history has a huge number of really important battles including heroic battles which dwarf even Thermopyles: google "Battle of Alamana bridge" and the subsequent "Battle of Gravia Inn", to understand what I am talking about. Albeit non of these battles are celebrated so one would wonder why remember stories of 2500 years.
  
  If Greeks had to commemorate each of its main battles we would have actually quite a lot commemorations.
  
  I guess if Greece had to do somethign about Marathon, it should had been something to attract tourists - which is not at all a bad idea in itself. However, there are no local organised re-enactment groups apart some hobbyists who have the time and money to dedicate but who are not always working in collaboration with academics for the correct re-enactement (this not implying they have not the knowledge, but they might miss some details for 100% correct re-enactment). Crisis or not crisis though, the Greek government since 1975 gave tragically few money even for basic archaiological work (the workers of Acropolis remaining unpayed for sometime remained legendary of that!) thus one would not expect any money for re-enactments and commemorations of such an "old story".
  
  I guess you find this dissapointing - and even a lost opportunity for Greeks to present a nice event for tourists, I am sorry that I have no better news.
  
  PS: I do not exclude however the possibility of these small local groups of hobbyists gathering and doing a small presentation at Marathon, perhaps gathering the local town mayor to do a small speech and such... but nothing special to bring someone there for that of course.

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  Posted by Stoggler (U14387762) on Friday, 21st May 2010

  Isn't it called the Battle of Snickers these days...?

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  Posted by Nik (U1777139) on Monday, 24th May 2010

  What are snickers? You mean the shoes?

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  Posted by Stoggler (U14387762) on Monday, 24th May 2010

  Shoes? Are you referring to sneakers? That's the American word for what we in Britain call trainers.
  
  My last post was just a wee joke, based on the chocolate bar Snickers (made by Mars, a chocalate bar with nougat and hazelnuts). In Britain the bar was known for years and years as a Marathon bar, then some time in the late 80s or early 90s the name was changed from Marathon to Snickers (which is how it's known elsewhere in the world).
  
  Hence why the Battle of Marathon should now be called the Battle of Snickers...

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• Message 6

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  Posted by Nik (U1777139) on Monday, 24th May 2010

  Hehehe... I really ignored Snickers was called Marathon anciently! Apparently because it is a very fattening snack = (in the language of advertising) a very energy-rich snack. Knowning that in the real battle Athenian hoplites were ordered to run fully armed the last 2 kilometers that separated them from the Persians so as to catch them before they would fully organise their ranks, one would wonder what snack they had eaten there...

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  Posted by an ex-nordmann - it has ceased to exist (U3472955) on Monday, 24th May 2010

  Well it wasn't Marathon Bars, and that's for sure! Given the Greek climate they would have melted (in the hand, not the mouth) long before they could be put to any military use. Extensive experiments in my youth conducted in a much cooler Irish climate bear this out.
  
  A sustained diet of that particular confectionary however - be it called Marathon or Snicker - might actually have saved them a lot of trouble, since then even a small number of hoplites could easily have repulsed the entire Persian hordes just by smiling at them.

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• Message 8

  , in reply to message 6.

  Posted by WickerMan (U14275309) on Monday, 24th May 2010

  
  Knowning that in the real battle Athenian hoplites were ordered to run fully armed the last 2 kilometers that separated them from the Persians so as to catch them before they would fully organise their ranks..
  Ìý
  
  Ah, so thats where the sneakers (snickers) come into it.
  
  Sneakers?, trainers?, whatever happened to pumps?
  Guess I'm showing my age now...

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