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Pheidippides

American  
[fahy-dip-i-deez] / faɪˈdɪp ɪˌdiz /
Or Phidippides

noun

  1. the Athenian runner who secured aid from Sparta in the struggle between the Athenians and the Persians 490 b.c.


Pheidippides British  
/ faɪˈdɪpɪˌdiːz /

noun

  1. 5th century bc . Athenian athlete, who ran to Sparta to seek help against the Persians before the Battle of Marathon (490 bc )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

The marathon distance of 42.195 kilometers corresponds to the legend of how far the ancient Greek messenger Pheidippides traveled between Marathon and Athens to announce victory over the Persians in 490 B.C.

From Scientific American Sep. 21, 2020

Pheidippides ran back to Athens with the bad news, but by then the Athenians were already engaged with the Persians.

From Textbooks Jan. 1, 2020

“Great for our sport, isn’t it? Think of the two most famous marathoners — Pheidippides and Rosie Ruiz,” said Boston Marathon champion Bill Rodgers in an interview with the Globe.

From Washington Post Aug. 7, 2019

Thanks to that old yarn about Pheidippides, the specter of sudden and noble death at the finish line thrilled Victorian-era sport fans.

From New York Times Nov. 5, 2017

But the "runner," Pheidippides, fell in on his return, with the god Pan; and though alone among Greeks the Athenians had refused to honour him, he promised to fight with them in the coming battle.

From A Handbook to the Works of Browning (6th ed.) by Orr, Sutherland, Mrs.

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