Let us take you to the place where the history of “Marathon Race” happened for the first time in history. We will pick you up from your accomodation to guide you to the place where the Battle of Marathon (one of the most remarkable timestamps of humanity) took place.
But first we will have a small stop at the Panathenaic Stadium which lies in the center of Athens and one of the most significant monuments not only for Athens, but for the whole Greece. Its rich history is directly connected to the Modern Olympic Games from their revival in 1896 as it is the place where the Marathon Race ends.
It was 490 B.C when the Persian king Darius had promised to destroy the Greeks (Athenians and Plataeans) and had come to Marathon with his forces. The equality was 4 Persians against 1 Greek. So the Greeks decided to send a messenger/runner, called Pheidippides, to Sparta and ask for their help. The messenger ran 225 km to reach Sparta and back to Athens and 40 km to the battlefield of Marathon. On his way back God Pan told him that if Athenians worshiped him every year he would help them win. And that’s what happened! The Persians during the battle where furious to win and God Pan used his powers to cause them Panic!
The next day, and after the end of the battle, he had to run to Athens to announce the Greek victory over Persia to the rulers with the word ‘’Nenikikamen’’ (“hail, we are the winners”) and when he did it he collapsed and died.
Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics in 1896 decided to honor Pheidippides for his achievement including an event that will recall the ancient glory of Greece. As a result he created the sport that the competitors had to run from Marathon to Athens (a distance of 42.195 meters .
At Marathon you will have the chance to see the tombs that Athenians and Plataeans had buried the soldiers of the battle, the Archeological Museum of Marathon, the Sanctuary of the Egyptian Gods and the Starting point of Classical Marathon Race that takes place every year!
Our next stop is Vravrona, a place where lies the Temple of Goddess Artemis who was worshiped as one of the primary goddesses of childbirth and midwifery. She was the protector of hunters, wilderness, wild animals and she was also the symbol of chastity as she had remain a maiden and she had sworn never to marry.
After our visit to the temple and the archeological site we will depart, heading to the southest point of Attica Region and benchmark of Ancient Greece, Cape Sounio!
At Cape Sounio you can swim or eat lunch on the beach with your table literally inside the sea until sunset time! After our leisure time we are going to visit the Temple of Poseidon which was the place where Athenians and Greeks worshiped The God Of The Sea. There you are going to have an amazing view at the Aegean Sea and the chance to get some spectacular photos with the Temple of Poseidon and the Sunset in the background!
Finally, early in the night we are going to take our way back to your accommodation passing through the Athenian Riviera enjoying the coastal road and the view of the Saronic gulf, having lived a day to remember for a long time!
