Although the Greek city-states frequently fought each other, they sometimes joined together in the face of an overwhelming threat from outside. This happened at the beginning of the fifth century B.C., when the united Greeks twice defeated a far more powerful enemy that was trying to conquer their country.
In those days the Persians (present-day Iranians) ruled a vast empire stretching from Egypt to India. In the year 490 B.C., Darius, the king of Persia, decided to extend his empire to Europe by conquering Greece. He expected the small, disunited country to fall easily. But when his army landed in Greece, at a place called Marathon, it was defeated by a much smaller force of Greeks, mostly from the city-state of Athens. The runner brought the news from the battlefield at Marathon to Athens. After running nonstop for more than 20 miles, he arrived in the city. He cried out, "Rejoice! We conquer!" and then fell dead of exhaustion. The long race called the marathon (part of the modern Olympics) commemorates this runner's feat.
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