Chapter- 27                 The Legend of Marathon


1. What is a marathon?

Answer: A marathon is a sporting event – a running race of about 42 kilometres.


2. What does the word ‘marathon’ also mean?

Answer: It also means a task or event that lasts a long time and requires effort and patience.


3. Where was the first marathon race organized?

Answer: It was organized at the time of the first Olympic Games in Greece.


4. In whose memory was the marathon started?

Answer: It was started in memory of the Greek hero Pheidippides.


5. From where to where did Pheidippides run to deliver the message?

Answer: He ran from Marathon to Athens.


6. How many years ago did Persia attack Greece?

Answer: About two thousand five hundred years ago.


7. What kind of kingdom was Persia?

Answer: Persia was a mighty kingdom with a large army.


8. Near which town did the Persian army land?

Answer: They landed near the town of Marathon.


9. What was the target of the Persian army?

Answer: Their target was Athens.


10. What kind of city was Athens at that time?

Answer: Athens was a small city-state in Greece.


11. Why did the Athenians need help?

Answer: They needed help because their army was small compared to the Persian army.


12. To whom did the Athenians send a messenger?

Answer: They sent a messenger to the neighbouring kingdom of Sparta.


13. What was the name of the messenger?

Answer: His name was Pheidippides.


14. Who was Pheidippides?

Answer: Pheidippides was a young man who served as a ‘day-long runner’.


15. How far did Pheidippides run to reach Sparta?

Answer: He ran nearly a hundred kilometres in a day.


16. Why did the Spartans refuse to help immediately?

Answer: They were busy with some ceremonies.


17. How did Pheidippides feel when he returned to Athens with the Spartan message?

Answer: He returned with a heavy heart but ran like light feet.


18. How was the Persian army watching Athens?

Answer: They watched Athens like a cat watches a mousehole.


19. What did the Athenians decide to do when Sparta refused to help?

Answer: They decided to fight the Persians on their own.


20. Who sent their flanks round the Persian forces?

Answer: The Athenian Generals did.


21. Why is Pheidippides remembered in history?

Answer: He is remembered for running long distances to deliver important messages during the Persian attack and for inspiring the creation of the marathon race.


22. How did the Athenians win despite being weaker?

Answer: They used a surprise attack, sent their flanks around the Persians like speeding arrows, and caught them unprepared.


23. What shows that Pheidippides was determined and loyal to Athens?

Answer: He ran nearly 100 km twice, once to Sparta and again back to Athens, without resting, only to help his people.


24. Why is the story of Pheidippides important though it may not be historically accurate?

Answer: Because it has inspired generations of sportsmen and symbolizes effort, endurance, and sacrifice.


25. What was the condition of Pheidippides when he reached Sparta?

Answer: He was tired but managed to deliver the message.


26. Persia was a weak kingdom.

Answer : False – Persia was a mighty kingdom.


27. Athens had a large army compared to Persia.

Answer: False – Athens had a small army.


28. The Spartans immediately joined the Athenians in battle.

Answer: False – They did not join because they were busy with ceremonies.


29. The Persians were ready for battle when the Athenians attacked.

Answer: False – The Persians were not ready.


30. The Athenians launched a surprise attack on the Persians.

Answer: True.

Answer by Dimpee Bora