In the ancient world, everyone knew about the Battle of Marathon. While most modern folks may not readily recall it (hint:  it’s the one where the Athenians (not the Spartans) beat off the Persian army and saved the day), legend of this decisive battle permeated ancient Greece and Rome. In fact, so much so, that one might argue that the Idea of it… was greater than the battle itself. 

Today I’m talking with Sonya Nevin, Affiliated Lecturer in Ancient History at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge and author of The Idea of Marathon, Battle and Culture… of which we’ll speak about today.