The Battle of Marathon in 490 BC was part of the first Persian invasion of Greece. With the Persians closing in on the Greek capitol, Athenian general Miltiades took command of the hastily assembled army. Miltiades weakened the center of his outnumbered force to strengthen its wings, causing confusion among the invading Persians. His strategy was victorious over the Persians’ strength.
After the Greeks defeated the Persians in the battle of Marathon an Athenian messenger named Pheidippides was dispatched from the battlefield to Athens to deliver the news of Greek victory. After running about 25 miles to the Acropolis, he burst into the chambers and gallantly hailed his countrymen with Nike! Nike! Nenikekiam (Victory! Victory! Rejoice, we conquer!). Then he promptly collapsed from exhaustion and died. The tale of the messenger Pheidippides running 25 miles to Athens to deliver the news inspired the creation of the modern marathon.