Background
It Starts in 490 B.C.
In 490 B.C. a fleet of several hundred Persian ships deposited tens of thousands of warriors along Marathon’s sandy shore, located about 26 miles to the northeast of Athens. When they learned of the Persians’ approach and landing, the Athenians met in assembly to determine what course of action they should take. Ultimately, they voted to march out of their city and meet the Persian invaders at Marathon. This was in stark contrast to the decision usually taken in the ancient world when a small city was confronted by an overwhelming military power: either to abandon the city or surrender it. The Athenians chose to fight for their city in large part because of the dignity as human beings that their democratic society had given to each of them.
The Athenians defeated the Persians at Marathon and were able the preserve their civilization and its revolutionary political system, known as: democracy. Many of us know the legend of Pheidippides’ 26 mile run from Marathon back to Athens to announce the victory. But we really need to remember the 26-mile run by those same Athenian citizens soldiers from Marathon back to Athens. They needed to run back to Athens because, right after the Persians lost the first battle at Marathon, the Persians had run back to their boats to try to sail and attack Athens by sea while all the Athenians were still out at Marathon. When the Persian boats got to Athens, they were shocked to see saw those same Athenian soldiers again-who had just run the 26 miles home-positioned right in front of their city again, ready to fight again. The Persians gave up and went home. This Battle has been described as an event that changed the world.
Now onto Modern History… At the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896, Greece conceived of a 26 mile race to memorialize the battle of Marathon. This new Race would follow the route of the ancient Athenians-this to remember the Battle of Marathon. Representatives of the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) were present and were inspired to establish the first Boston Marathon the following year. Thus the Boston Marathon was founded in 1897 and was held on Massachusetts’ Patriots’ Day-the day we celebrate the courage of our own American citizen soldiers, the Minutemen, who stood up to an enormous military power to win our American liberty in 1776.
The Boston Marathon Wreath Ceremony In 1984, in recognition of the historic ties which continue to this very day between the birthplace of democracy in ancient Athens and the City of Boston, the birthplace of the American Revolution in 1775, a team of people: Greek Consul General Christos Panagopoulos, the Boston Athletic Association, Governor Michael S. Dukakis, Lieutenant Governor John Kerry, Mayor of Boston Raymond Flynn, BAA Race Director Tim Kilduff, and Peter Agris of the Alpha Omega Council created the tradition of presenting the Boston Athletic Association with olive branch wreaths to crown the four first-place winners of the Boston Marathon. Each year, olive wreaths are cut on the plains of Marathon, fashioned into wreaths, and then gifted by the Greek people to the BAA.
Marathon Education Initiative In 2013, in the wake of the bombings at the Boston Marathon on April 15 of that year, the Alpha Omega Council and the Consulate General of Greece in Boston launched the Marathon Educational Committee, to create educational initiatives to encourage an appreciation of the traditions of civic responsibility and liberty that the ancient Greeks demonstrated at Marathon.
The Boston Marathon offers us a chance to reflect on the reasons that citizens—individuals who perform civic duties in exchange for the privilege of governing themselves—form the heart of any free government. The marathon race itself stands as an appropriate symbol of the incredible effort required of individual citizens in order to maintain independent government, and can help illuminate the role, duties, and opportunities for civic participation today. The Council collaborates with educators from Boston University Philhellenes, The Examined Life Program, The 26.2 Foundation, Emmanuel College, Harvard University and Hopkinton Middle School’s “26.2-Desire to Inspire Initiative” to help us all understand the importance of ancient Greek history and the Battle of Marathon and how this ancient history relates to our lives today as citizens in a democracy.
Its initiatives focus on sixth grade students, the year that students study ancient history under the Massachusetts State Curriculum. Its centerpiece is the annual Marathon Essay Competition, in which students write an essay on the historical significance of the Battle of Marathon. This year, over 750 students from Hopkinton Middle School, Ashland Middle School and Boston Latin Academy will participate…From the start to the finish of the Marathon route. Twelve student essayists will be selected for special recognition at the Wreath Ceremony.
The Athenians defeated the Persians at Marathon and were able the preserve their civilization and its revolutionary political system, known as: democracy. Many of us know the legend of Pheidippides’ 26 mile run from Marathon back to Athens to announce the victory. But we really need to remember the 26-mile run by those same Athenian citizens soldiers from Marathon back to Athens. They needed to run back to Athens because, right after the Persians lost the first battle at Marathon, the Persians had run back to their boats to try to sail and attack Athens by sea while all the Athenians were still out at Marathon. When the Persian boats got to Athens, they were shocked to see saw those same Athenian soldiers again-who had just run the 26 miles home-positioned right in front of their city again, ready to fight again. The Persians gave up and went home. This Battle has been described as an event that changed the world.
Now onto Modern History… At the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896, Greece conceived of a 26 mile race to memorialize the battle of Marathon. This new Race would follow the route of the ancient Athenians-this to remember the Battle of Marathon. Representatives of the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) were present and were inspired to establish the first Boston Marathon the following year. Thus the Boston Marathon was founded in 1897 and was held on Massachusetts’ Patriots’ Day-the day we celebrate the courage of our own American citizen soldiers, the Minutemen, who stood up to an enormous military power to win our American liberty in 1776.
The Boston Marathon Wreath Ceremony In 1984, in recognition of the historic ties which continue to this very day between the birthplace of democracy in ancient Athens and the City of Boston, the birthplace of the American Revolution in 1775, a team of people: Greek Consul General Christos Panagopoulos, the Boston Athletic Association, Governor Michael S. Dukakis, Lieutenant Governor John Kerry, Mayor of Boston Raymond Flynn, BAA Race Director Tim Kilduff, and Peter Agris of the Alpha Omega Council created the tradition of presenting the Boston Athletic Association with olive branch wreaths to crown the four first-place winners of the Boston Marathon. Each year, olive wreaths are cut on the plains of Marathon, fashioned into wreaths, and then gifted by the Greek people to the BAA.
Marathon Education Initiative In 2013, in the wake of the bombings at the Boston Marathon on April 15 of that year, the Alpha Omega Council and the Consulate General of Greece in Boston launched the Marathon Educational Committee, to create educational initiatives to encourage an appreciation of the traditions of civic responsibility and liberty that the ancient Greeks demonstrated at Marathon.
The Boston Marathon offers us a chance to reflect on the reasons that citizens—individuals who perform civic duties in exchange for the privilege of governing themselves—form the heart of any free government. The marathon race itself stands as an appropriate symbol of the incredible effort required of individual citizens in order to maintain independent government, and can help illuminate the role, duties, and opportunities for civic participation today. The Council collaborates with educators from Boston University Philhellenes, The Examined Life Program, The 26.2 Foundation, Emmanuel College, Harvard University and Hopkinton Middle School’s “26.2-Desire to Inspire Initiative” to help us all understand the importance of ancient Greek history and the Battle of Marathon and how this ancient history relates to our lives today as citizens in a democracy.
Its initiatives focus on sixth grade students, the year that students study ancient history under the Massachusetts State Curriculum. Its centerpiece is the annual Marathon Essay Competition, in which students write an essay on the historical significance of the Battle of Marathon. This year, over 750 students from Hopkinton Middle School, Ashland Middle School and Boston Latin Academy will participate…From the start to the finish of the Marathon route. Twelve student essayists will be selected for special recognition at the Wreath Ceremony.