190

Μαραθώνιοι (Marathonioi)
(“Men of Marathon”)

Discussion PCG VII (1989) 772-3; Orth, HGL II (2014) 1045.
Title Μαραθώνιοι was the title of a tragedy by Lycophron (TrGF I 100 T 3).
Comedies named after men from individual Attic demes are Aristophanes’
Άχαρνής, Eupolis’ Προσπάλτιοι, Strattis’ Ποτάμιοι, Antiphanes’ Θορίκιοι,
Philippides’ Λακιάδαι, Menanders Άλαεΐς; unknown poets wrote Έρχιεΐς (ca 204
BC, cf. com. adesp. fr. 7), and, perhaps, Θυμοιτάδαι (cf. com. adesp. fr. 8). The
only relevant singular title is Antiphanes’ Φρεάρριος. Cf. also Hermippus’ and
Posidippus’ Δημόται, Eupolis’ Δήμοι, and the title Άνάγυρος (Aristophanes and
Diphilus).
The deme of Marathon is a coastal deme of Aiantis, and was represented in
the Council with 10 bouleutai. The old Marathonians dwelled in a tetrapolis
(Marathon, Oenoe, Probalinthus and Tricorynthus), which was a confederacy
existing before the unification of Attica under Theseus. For location and archa-
eological and inscriptional material cf. Whitehead 1986, 190-94; Goette-Weber
2004; Csapo et alii 2014, 103.
In Euripides’ Herakleidai a Chorus consisting of old men from Marathon is rea-
dy to protect the children of Heracles from Eurystheus: 80-2 Xo. σύ δ’ έκ τίνος γης,
ώ γέρον, τετράπτολιν ξύνοικον ήλθες λαόν; “But you, old man, from what land
have you come to this people who live together in four cities?” In Aristophanes,
on the other hand, Marathon normally appears as the emblem of the victorious
Athenian resistance against the Persians. Not surprisingly, it is always old men who
recall the glorious days of the famous battle. In fact, the term ‘Marathon fighters’ is
conventionally applied not only to the actual Μαραθωνομάχοι of490 BC, but also
to all those belonging to the oldest living generation, who established the Athenian
empire after the repulse of the Persians; cf. Ar. Ach. 180-1 (the old Acharnians
are described by Amphitheus as Marathon fighters) Άχαρνικοί, στιπτοι γέροντες,
πρίνινοι, I άτεράμονες, Μαραθωνομάχοι, σφενδάμνινοι “elders from Acharnae,
stout old men, hearts of oak, tough, Marathon fighters, hearts of maple”; 697-8
άνδρ’ άγαθόν όντα Μαρα-1 θώνι περί τήν πόλιν “when he was a brave fighter
at Marathon for city”; Eq. 781 (the Sausage Seller addressing Demos) σέ γάρ, δς
Μήδοισι διεξιφίσω περί τής χώρας Μαραθώνι “you, who crossed swords with the
Medes at Marathon to defend your country”; 1334 τής γάρ πόλεως άξια πράττεις
και τοϋ ’ν Μαραθώνι τροπαίου “for you act worthily of the city and the trophy at
Marathon”; Nu. 986 έξ ών άνδρας Μαραθωνομάχος ήμή παίδευσις έθρεψεν; V.
711; 1060-1110 (the jurors recall their participation in the battle of Marathon);
Th. 806. For the battle of Marathon in Attic comedy cf. Κακριδής 2011, 111-120;
Papadodima 2013, 143-54.
Content The title may recall either mythological (cf. above) or historical memo-
ries. It is uncertain whether the plural in the title echoes an Old Comedy treatment