Who was Pheidippides in the context of the Persian Wars?
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Correct answer: A Greek long-distance runner sent to seek help and report victory
Pheidippides was a trained long-distance courier who, according to Herodotus, ran approximately 240 km from Athens to Sparta before Marathon to request military assistance. The modern marathon race derives from the later legend of his run from the battlefield to Athens to announce the Greek victory before collapsing.
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