Talk:Pheidippides
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[edit] Too much analysis
There is way too much analysis and too many uncited "facts" at the end of this article. The only source is the quote from The Histories, and the rest might as well be something the author just pulled out of nowhere. It looks like a school paper trying to interpret events instead of simply presenting them. An encyclopedia is simply supposed to put forth the facts, not try to interpret them.DaBears34 03:15, 3 March 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Yet another interpretation
A Swedish researcher in the field of sports history described the story something like this (I do not remember the details, and unfortunately I do not have a reference): The Greek used professional runners, because they are faster over long distances, as horses quickly tire. In fact, the Africans know that one can hunt Gazelle by having food and water enough for a few days with you, then selecting an animal, pursuing it until it gets too tired to run away. So when the Persians were spotted at Marathon, probably spotted at sea, a runner was sent to Athens in order to seek help, and the Athenians sent the runner to Sparta. The Spartans, however, found an excuse to not help immediately, but in a few days time, a message which the runner took back to Athens. Then the Athenians won the battle at Marathon, and when the Spartans arrived very much too late for the battle, just as they had planned, they lauded the Athenians for a good job. It is wholly unlikely a professional runner would die from running such a short distance as that between Marathon and Athens.
[edit] Contradictions
The article currently seems to kind of argue with itself over whether a horse would have been expected to be used... AnonMoos (talk) 13:35, 24 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Distance Contradictions
At the start of the article, it says Pheidippides ran "240km" but at the end, it talks about Pheidippides "semi-historical run through 250km of Greek countryside". Which one is the real distance? I would change it if other sites didn't contradict each other. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 121.218.66.118 (talk) 08:25, 7 May 2008 (UTC)
