Pheidippides (600–489 BCE)
Born 600 BCE, died 489 BCE.
Pheidippides (; fə-DIP-ə-DEEZ FAY-; Ancient Greek: Φειδιππίδης, Ancient Greek pronunciation: [pʰeː.dip.pí.dɛːs], Modern Greek: [fi.ðiˈpi.ðis] lit. 'Son of Pheídippos') or Philippides (Φιλιππίδης) was a 5th-century-BC Athenian running courier who was the central figure in the story that inspired the marathon race. The best-known version of this story is the 1879 poem Pheidippides by Robert Browning, in which Pheidippides is said to have run approximately 240 kilometres (150 mi) from Athens to Sparta (and back to Athens) before the Battle of Marathon (490 BC), in order to seek Spartan help against the Persians in the upcoming battle. Pheidippides then fought at the Battle of Marathon, and after the Athenian victory, he ran approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) from Marathon to Athens to deliver the news. He died immediately after announcing the Athenian victory. Browning's poem is a composite of two earlier versions of Pheidippides's story.
Text from the Wikipedia article Pheidippides, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.