^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

Marathon (Municipality, Greece)

Μαραθώνα

Flag of Marathon, current and former versions - Images by Tomislav Šipek, 6 April 2019, and Olivier Touzeau, 15 May 2014, respectively

Presentation of Marathon
Flag of Marathon
Former municipalities
- Marathon
- Nea Makri

See also:

Presentation of Marathon

The municipality of Marathon (33,423 inhabitants in 2011; 22,660 ha) was eestablished in the 2011 local government reform as the merger of the former municipalities of Grammatiko (Γραμματικό, 1,823 inh.), Marathon (12,849 inh.), Nea Makri (Νέα Μάκρη, 16,670 inh.), and Varnavas (Βαρνάβας, 2,081 inh.).

Marathon's name comes from the herb fennel, called marathon (μάραθον) or marathos (μάραθος) in Greek. The name of the athletic long-distance endurance race, the "marathon", comes from the legend of a Greek runner, who was sent from the town of Marathon to Athens to announce that the Persians had been defeated in the Battle of Marathon. It is said that he ran the entire distance without stopping, but moments after proclaiming his message, he collapsed from exhaustion. After Miltiades (the general of the Greek forces) had defeated Darius' Persian forces, the Persians decided to sail from Marathon to Athens in order to sack the unprotected city. Miltiades ordered all his hoplite forces to "double-time" march back to Athens. By the time Darius' troops arrived, they saw the same Greek force waiting for them.
In the 19th century and beginning of twentieth century the village was inhabited by an Arvanite (Albanian) population. At the 1896 and 2004 Summer Olympics, Marathon was the starting point of the marathon race.

Olivier Touzeau, 15 May 2014

Flag of Marathon

The flag of Marathon (photo) is white with the municipal emblem.
The former municipal flag (photo, photo) had a large dark blue border, and wqs medium blue in the center, with a thin white border between the two blue parts. On the ligher blue is the name of the municipaliy in dark blue letters and, in the center, the head of Miltiades.

Tomislav Šipek & Olivier Touzeau, 6 April 2019

Former municipalities

Marathon

The flag of the former municipality of Marathon (Kokkonis website) was similar in design, but with a thinner white border, the name of the municipality in yellow letters, and a different representation of Miltiades, placed on a white oval.

Olivier Touzeau, 15 May 2014

Nea Makri

Flag of Nea Makri - Image by Olivier Touzeau, 27 May 2014

The area was once known as Plesti, but following the 1922 Greek military disaster in Asia Minor and the subsequent repatriation of Greeks from the town of Makri, it was renamed to Nea Makri.
The flag of Nea Makri (Kokkonis website) was white with a burgundy red outer border and the municipal emblem in the center.

Olivier Touzeau, 27 May 2014