"Marathon or Bust"

I stood for a while, looking at a white van belonging to a band of historical re enacters, keen to get to Schinias Beach to re play the final minutes of one of the most famous battles in Greece's long history- the Battle of Marathon.
On the bonnet of the van, written probably with wry humour in homage to almost every hitchiker anywhere was the sign "Marathon or Bust".  As I stared at it, I wondered if its authors knew just how apt their slogan was to modern day Greece.  Perhaps, I thought,  they don't care about Greece today and think only about its illustrious past, not its unstable present.  It would be a shame, I thought, if they don't care because that silly sign seems to sum up Greece right now so well.

Later, when I met with some of the re enacters I realised that by and large, they are a thoughtful, respectful group of people who love history (Greek history in particular) and enjoy experiencing life in ancient times through recreating it as best they can.  I got the impression that they are very aware of the financial crisis here, and do care very much how the country will fare in the coming months. They are convinced that if they are given some encouragement and support from the Greek government, their particular type of tourism will bring much needed revenue into the country in the future. Historical re enactment is an untapped source in Greece and they see boundless opportunities for future events- the Battle of Thermopylae, the Persian wars, the Athens-Sparta conflicts all bring a gleam to their eyes.
So far, the official response to all this has been nil. The event received no advertising and no help with organisation from the goverment or any official source. Only the mayor and townspeople of Marathon seemed to offer any type of assistance to the one hundred or so foreign re enacters who had travelled from as far away as Canada to take part in the three day happening. Most locals didn't even know it was taking place and the spectator turnout was poor.

Watching the re enactment of the battle,  I realised not just the sign but the whole event was a bit symbolic of the current situation. Two and a half thousand years ago and against all odds, a small army of Athenian led soldiers defeated the much larger army of the Persian Empire.  To a betting man, the odds for an Athenian win must have been dismal, and today's odds look just as gloomy for Greece.  It is engaged in an economic battle against bankruptcy that will take a Herculean, Marathon style effort to win.  Like those ancient Athenians whose chances looked pretty slim at the onset of combat,  I hope it finds the courage to face its massive problems head on and to believe that it is possible to come out victorious.
To see the video on the Battle of Marathon follow this link:
Battle of Marathon