this post was submitted on 21 Jul 2026
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[–] NullPointerException@lemmy.ca 17 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Why? Story goes that the guy was actually naked (or arrived naked).

[–] Rivermoonwolf@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

If I recall correctly, he was hurrying to relay important war info, sound up saving the people he was warning

[–] Skua@kbin.earth 10 points 1 day ago (2 children)

There are two main accoints of the story and, ironically, he didn't actually manage anything useful in either of them

In the oldest one, he was sent from Athens to Sparta to ask for help against the invadng Persians. He ran 240 km in two days in this version of the story, only for the Spartans to say that actually they were busy with a religious festival and would not be coming to help. He then ran back. In this one he runs more than ten marathons in a matter of days and doesn't die, and while the Spartans didn't help someone did have to go ask to find that out

In the later one, he ran the 40 km from the battle of Marathon back to Athens to say "we won" and then die. Of course, there's not really any strategic decisions required from the information of "we won", so in this version he ran himself to death for basically no reason at all

[–] ViatorOmnium@piefed.social 14 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The "we won" message was important because the Persians retreated with their navy mostly intact, and they suspected they would show up in Athens and pretend they won to get concessions from the city.

[–] CuddlyCassowary@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

Well damn - I liked my version better where he was just really in a hurry to get the party started!

[–] ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net 5 points 1 day ago

So the guy was hiding for two days behind a hill, then came out and said "I totally just run 240km and they said they not coming, sorry guys".