The Art of Running: From Marathon to Athens on Winged Feet (Paperback) - Andrea Marcolongo

A fresh, accessible approach on the classics and their wisdom from one of Europe's most original and compelling scholars of ancient Greece and Rome

In 490 BCE the indefatigable Athenian herald Philippides made his legendary 26 mile run to deliver to the people of Athens news of their city's victory over the Persians. Each year, all over the world, thousands of athletes and millions of enthusiasts replicate Philippides's marathon.

Why do we run? To what end all the effort and pain? The Greeks were the first to ask these questions and to wonder why we choose to measure ourselves against others; they were also the first to suspend war, politics, and the daily workings of the state to enjoy days' long public celebrations of athletic prowess.

As the pandemic entered its second year, internationally renowned scholar and best-selling author Marcolongo discovers running. In this spirited, generous, and erudite book, she shares not only her scholarship but her own journey to understanding that a healthy body is a healthy mind.

About the Author

Andrea Marcolongo is an Italian journalist, writer, Classics scholar, and former speech writer for Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. The Ingenious Language was a bestseller in Italy and in many of the other dozen countries in which it has been published. She is also the author of The Heroic Measure. She lives in Paris. Will Schutt is the author of Westerly, selected by Carl Phillips for the Yale Series of Younger Poets. He is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Literature Translation Fellowship. He lives with his wife in Prato, Italy, where he works as an independent writing tutor, literary consultant, and translator.