In
Greek mythology, Marathon (
Ancient Greek: Μαραθῶνα), also Marathos or Marathus may refer to the same or four distinct characters who gave his name to
Marathon, a town in
Attica.
Marathus, the 14th king of
Sicyon[1] who reigned for 20[2] or 30[3] years. His predecessor was
Marathonius and himself was succeeded by
Echyreus, otherwise unknown.[2] During his reign,
Zeus slept with
Io, the daughter of
Iasus, and
Cecrops founded Athenai in
Euboea which was also called Diada or as Euboeans called it as
Orchomenon.[3] Marathus may be similar with the below Marathon.
Marathon, a king of
Corinth after succeeding his father King
Epopeus of
Sicyon and Corinth. His mother was princess
Antiope, the
Theban daughter of Regent-king
Nycteus.[4] He was the brother of
Oenope,[5] and father of
Corinthus[6] and
Sicyon.[7] Marathon escaped from the lawless violence of his father and migrated to the sea coast of
Attica (in Marathon). On his father's death, Marathon came back to
Peloponnesus and divided his kingdom among his sons and returned to Attica where he had previously settled.[8]
Marathus, an
Arcadian hero who accompanied the
Dioscuri in their expedition into Attica to rescue
Helen who had been abducted by
Theseus. Marathus died when, in accordance with some oracle, he voluntarily devoted himself to be sacrificed in front of the line of battle. After him the township of Marathon was called.[9]
Marathos, son of
Apollo and one of the possible eponyms of Marathon.[10]
Suida, Suda Encyclopedia translated by Ross Scaife, David Whitehead, William Hutton, Catharine Roth, Jennifer Benedict, Gregory Hays, Malcolm Heath Sean M. Redmond, Nicholas Fincher, Patrick Rourke, Elizabeth Vandiver, Raphael Finkel, Frederick Williams, Carl Widstrand, Robert Dyer, Joseph L. Rife, Oliver Phillips and many others.
Online version at the Topos Text Project.
This article includes a list of Greek mythological figures with the same or similar names. If an
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