Editing Battle of Marathon (section)

=== Legends associated with the battle ===
[[File:Pan satyre della Valle.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|Statue of [[Pan (mythology)|Pan]], [[Capitoline Museum]], Rome]]

The most famous legend associated with Marathon is that of the runner Pheidippides (or Philippides) bringing news to Athens of the battle, which is described [[#Marathon run|below]].

Pheidippides' run to Sparta to bring aid has other legends associated with it. Herodotus mentions that Pheidippides was visited by the god [[Pan (mythology)|Pan]] on his way to Sparta (or perhaps on his return journey).<ref name = "h187"/> Pan asked why the Athenians did not honor him and the awed Pheidippides promised that they would do so from then on. The god apparently felt that the promise would be kept, so he appeared in battle and at the crucial moment he instilled the Persians with his own brand of fear, the mindless, frenzied fear that bore his name: "[[panic]]". After the battle, a sacred precinct was established for Pan in a grotto on the north slope of the Acropolis, and a sacrifice was annually offered.<ref>Herodotus [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0126&layout=&loc=6.105 VI, 105]</ref>

[[File:Nike Callimachus.jpg|thumb|left|Reconstitution of the ''[[Nike of Callimachus]]'', erected in honor of the Battle of Marathon. Destroyed during the [[Achaemenid destruction of Athens]]. [[Acropolis Museum]].]]
Similarly, after the victory the festival of the ''Agroteras Thysia'' ("sacrifice to the Agrotéra") was held at [[Agrae]] near [[Athens]], in honor of [[Artemis]] [[Agrotera]] ("Artemis the Huntress"). This was in fulfillment of a vow made by the city before the battle, to offer in sacrifice a number of goats equal to that of the [[Persia]]ns slain in the conflict. The number was so great, it was decided to offer 500 goats yearly until the number was filled. [[Xenophon]] notes that at his time, 90 years after the battle, goats were still offered yearly.<ref>Plutarch, ''On the Malice of Herodotus'', 26</ref><ref>Xenophon, ''Anabasis'' III, 2</ref><ref>Aelian, ''Varia Historia'' II, 25</ref><ref>Aristophanes, ''The Knights'', 660</ref>

Plutarch mentions that the Athenians saw the phantom of King [[Theseus]], the mythical hero of Athens, leading the army in full battle gear in the charge against the Persians,<ref>Plutarch, ''Theseus'', 35</ref> and indeed he was depicted in the mural of the [[Stoa Poikile]] fighting for the Athenians, along with the twelve Olympian gods and other heroes.<ref>Pausanias I, 15</ref> Pausanias also tells us that: <blockquote>They say too that there chanced to be present in the battle a man of rustic appearance and dress. Having slaughtered many of the foreigners with a plough he was seen no more after the engagement. When the Athenians made enquiries at the oracle, the god merely ordered them to honor [[Echetlaeus]] ("he of the Plough-tail") as a hero.<ref name="Pausanias I, 32"/></blockquote>

Another tale from the conflict is of the dog of Marathon. [[Claudius Aelianus|Aelian]] relates that one hoplite brought his dog to the Athenian encampment. The dog followed his master to battle and attacked the Persians at his master's side. He also informs us that this dog is depicted in the mural of the Stoa Poikile.<ref>Aelian, ''On the Nature of Animals'' VII, 38</ref>