Battle of Marathon of events, with the competitors running from Marathon to Athens. So popular was this event that it quickly caught on, becoming a fixture at the Olympic games, with major cities staging their own annual events. The distance eventually became fixed at 26 miles 385 yards, or 42.195 km, though for the first years it was variable, being around —the approximate distance from Marathon to Athens. Battle of Marathon The Battle of Marathon (Greek: , "Machē tou Marathōnos") took place in 490 BC, during the first Persian invasion of Greece. It was fought between the citizens of Athens, aided by Plataea,
Battle of Athens (1864) were able to repulse the Confederate attack and force them into a retreat after a two-hour battle. Battle of Athens (1864) The Battle of Athens was fought in Athens, Alabama (Limestone County, Alabama), on January 26, 1864, as part of the American Civil War. The Union force was a company under Captain Emil Adams from the 9th Illinois Mounted Infantry regiment. The Confederate force was the 1st Alabama Cavalry, under Lieutenant Colonel Moses W. Hannon. On the morning of January 26, 1864, at around 4:00 a.m., 600 Confederate cavalrymen attacked Athens, which was being held by a Union force of