Letter: Marathon scandal
Sir: Martin Mottram may be on to something when he asks (letter, 11 December) whether the original Marathon runner had consumed performance- enhancing drugs. According to Robert Browning's poem Pheidippides, "fennel a-tremble with dew" seems to have been the main substance.
However, as with all drug-related cases, the causes of death are complex. It seems that before proceeding to the fennel/dew cocktail, Pheidippides had been on oak, olive and bay which, when enwreathed, make the brows bold: this and his punishing training schedule - from Athens to Sparta and back in the days before the battle - were contributory factors.
Nevertheless, on the actual death certificate Browning recorded "joy in his blood" as "bursting his heart".
DAVID WALLACE
Hove, East Sussex
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies