Bizarre happenings at Marathon

Posted On: Sep 29th, 2015 at 20:54

Greece
I’m currently on an archaeological tour of Greece, starting at Marathon (seemed like an appropriate place) – the town which gives the 26-mile race its name.
But it wasn’t the town itself that gave the race its name, it was an event that happened after the battle that occurred here in 490 BC.
This Ionic column stands alone in an enclosed area near marshland – the site of the famous battle in which an Athenian army of just 10,000 men crushed the mighty Persian army of 25,000 by an outflanking manoeuvre that caused utter chaos amongst their ranks. The Persians were caught so cold and unaware, by the end of the battle 6,400 of them lay dead, compared with just 192 Greeks. The Persians fled back towards their ships, and the column sits on the spot where their crushing defeat was made absolute.
This column is a replica of the original, the remnants of which are now situated in the museum in the modern, and somewhat lifeless, town of Marathon.
Right on the battle ground is the tumulus where the 192 Athenians are buried. Today I had an unbelievable experience there. I reached a spot where my whole body started tingling, my hairs stood on end and goose bumps appeared all over my arms. It was a very powerful experience. The photo shown below – just in front of the burial mound and between the two trees on the right – is where this experience occurred. I have been to many weird places and had many unusual experiences, but this ranks pretty high, such was the powerful emotions and feelings I had encountered today. It was an experience I shall never forget.

Ionic column at Marathon. The Persians were fleeing back towards their ships when they were caught up in the marshland near Schinias. No doubt the subsequent slaying of the Persian men brought about the defining moment in the battle and thus the spot where the column still stands today.

This tumulus on the battlefield is where the 192 Athenians are buried. Today, 2,500 years later, it stands as a sombre monument to one of Europe’s most defining moments.

This spot in front of the camera, between the two trees on the right, is where I had an “electrifying” experience. Whatever occurred on that particular spot is still being felt through the millennia. There were several other spots where I had similar experiences, but none were as powerful as the one on that spot. The tumulus is directly behind.