Battle of Marathon Renactment (1 Viewer)

BLReed

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http://www.gadling.com/2011/09/05/battle-of-marathon-to-be-fought-again/

This year Greece is marking the 2500th anniversary of the Battle of Marathon, an epic clash between the Greeks and Persians that saved Europe from invasion and allowed Greek culture to thrive. To commemorate the battle, there will be a reenactment on the actual battlefield.

The battle was a desperate attempt to stop the Persian Empire, the major superpower of the day, from invading Greece in 490 BC. The Greek city-states of Athens and Palataea blocked the passes leading out from the Persian beachhead on the Plain of Marathon. Even though the Greeks were outnumbered two-to-one, they attacked and routed the Persians, ending the invasion.

There's a legend that an Athenian named Pheidippides ran from the battlefield to Athens to announce the victory and died from exhaustion right after he gave the good news. The distance from Marathon to Athens is, of course, about 26 miles. This actually never happened, but it makes a good story.

From September 9 to 11, hundreds of reenactors from around the world will converge on the battlefield for a day of sham fighting and historical demonstrations. The Greek side will include many Greeks, while the Persian ranks will have many Iranians. Dozens of other countries will contribute people as well. Events will be centered on a reconstruction of the Greek military camp and there will be archery demonstrations, ancient music and dancing, and much more.

At least 200 warriors will duke it out on the original battlefield, but there won't be any blood spilled. The Greeks will have dull spears and the Persians will be firing rubber-tipped arrows. I bet this poor fellow pictured here, a Greek casualty of the real battle, wished there were rubber arrows back in his day.
 
It is a great event but it will be interesting to see how Greece, with it's current economic problems, can afford to foot the bill for this shindig. At least a whole infrastructure won't have to be built.:rolleyes2: -- Al
 
It is privately funded. Nothing to do with the government.
http://www.hoplologia.org/marathon.html


"But the main feature will be a planned confrontation between the Greek and Persian ‘armies’, composed of up to 200 experimental archaeology fans.
“It has taken us three years to equip even that many,” says Christian Cameron, a Canadian novelist and former US navy career officer.
“Correct armour and weapons — not to mention period textiles and dyes — take hundreds of hours to make,” the 49-year-old organizer told AFP.
“Most people at Marathon will be wearing five to ten thousand euros ($7,200-14,500) worth of equipment, much of it made by hand,” adds Cameron, who intends to portray an unnamed Greek aristocrat.
In addition to their custom-made armour and clothing, the participants will carry modified weapons including safe-edge spears for the Greeks and rubber-head arrows for the Persians.
“I believe this meeting will be the largest ever held in Greece, both in participants and duration,” said Yiannis Kadoglou, a 23-year-old agronomy student from Thessaloniki."
 
It is privately funded. Nothing to do with the government.
http://www.hoplologia.org/marathon.html


"But the main feature will be a planned confrontation between the Greek and Persian ‘armies’, composed of up to 200 experimental archaeology fans.
“It has taken us three years to equip even that many,” says Christian Cameron, a Canadian novelist and former US navy career officer.
“Correct armour and weapons — not to mention period textiles and dyes — take hundreds of hours to make,” the 49-year-old organizer told AFP.
“Most people at Marathon will be wearing five to ten thousand euros ($7,200-14,500) worth of equipment, much of it made by hand,” adds Cameron, who intends to portray an unnamed Greek aristocrat.
In addition to their custom-made armour and clothing, the participants will carry modified weapons including safe-edge spears for the Greeks and rubber-head arrows for the Persians.
“I believe this meeting will be the largest ever held in Greece, both in participants and duration,” said Yiannis Kadoglou, a 23-year-old agronomy student from Thessaloniki."
Thanks for the info. Interesting site and glad it is private funding. -- Al
 

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