Pheidippides
Joy to you, we've won.
Pheidippides (Greek: Φειδιππίδης, "Son of Pheídippos"; c. 530 – c. 490 BC) was an Athenian courier (hemerodrome) who delivered news of the allied Greek victory over the Persians at Marathon to the Athenian magistrates, dying immediately thereafter. His story inspired the modern marathon and other foot races.
Quotes
[edit]- Χαίρετε, νικῶμεν.
- Joy to you, we've won.
- Quoted by Lucian, Pro lapsu inter salutandum, 3, as the first use of the word 'joy' (χαίρετε) as a greeting:
- Philippides, the one who acted as messenger, is said to have used it first in our sense when he brought the news of victory from Marathon and addressed the magistrates in session when they were anxious how the battle had ended; "Joy to you, we've won" he said, and there and then he died, breathing his last breath with the words "Joy to you".
- Also translated as "Hail, we are the winners", "Greetings, we win", &c.
