Marathon, Greece Marathon, Greece Marathon (Demotic Greek: Μαραθώνας, "Marathónas"; Attic/Katharevousa: , "Marathṓn") is a town in Greece and the site of the battle of Marathon in 490 BCE, in which the heavily outnumbered Athenian army defeated the Persians. Legend has it that Pheidippides, a Greek herald at the battle, was sent running from Marathon to Athens to announce the victory, which is how the marathon running race was conceived in modern times. The name "Marathon" () comes from the herb fennel, called "marathon" () or "marathos" () in Ancient Greek, so "Marathon" literally means "a place full of fennels". It is believed
Athens News Agency Athens News Agency The Athens News Agency (ANA; ) was one of the two major news agencies in Greece, the other being the Macedonian Press Agency, before they merged into the Athens News Agency-Macedonian Press Agency (ANA-MPA). The Athens News Agency (ANA) is the national news agency of Greece. Founded in 1895 as a private company, the Stefanopoli Telegraphic Agency, the Greek State assumed its subsidisation in 1905, at which time it acquired its present name. In 1994 the ANA became a Societe Anonyme with a 7-member Board of Directors, three of whom are appointed by the government and one