48. Marathon

The dragon looked toward Greece.

The pain of Sardis was still fresh.

Darius was constantly reminded

With the dragon’s nightly grumblings.

“We must punish those that defy us,”

The dragon said to him.

Darius agreed.

The dragon snapped at Greece.

Gaining the horn of Thrace.

With his teeth still freshly bloodied from Thracian blood

He snapped up Eretria.

The dragon wasn’t satisfied.

His hunger and anger at the Greeks

Raged within him.

Thrace and Eretria were just appetizers.

He roared with rage toward the city of Marathon.

Athena rushed to the city to protect it.

A shield made of ships blocked the dragon from her people.

The messenger,

Philippides,

Ran to Sparta

Dying on Ares’ doorstep

With his last breath.

A warning of incoming Persia.

Ares looked at the man wishing he could help.

It would be rude to leave the feast table of Apollo.

Athena was left to fend for herself.

She stood alone against the great beast.

With sword in one hand

Shield in the other

She bravely charged the dragon and his forces

Letting out her enormous battle cry

Among clashing phalanxian armor.

Startled by the attack

The dragon fled from the armored goddess.

Many were lost on the Greek side

But the dragon lost a lot more.

The Greek dead were cremated.

A stone erected

So that the glorious grove of Marathon can tell of his valor

As can the long haired Persian,

Who well remembers it.

The dragon did remember it.

With every passing day

It festered

Turning and churning in his stomach.

At every meal Darius replied

“Lord, remember the Athenians.”