Marathon-class cruiser

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Chromolithograph of HMS Magicienne by W. Fred Mitchell, 1892
Class overview
Name	Marathon class
Builders	Fairfields, Govan Portsmouth Naval Dockyard Chatham Naval Dockyard
Operators	Royal Navy
Built	1887–1889
In commission	1889–1920
Completed	5
Retired	5
General characteristics
Type	2nd class cruiser
Displacement	2,800 long tons (2,845 t) (Medea & Medusa) 2,950 long tons (2,997 t) (Melpomene, Magicienne & Marathon)
Propulsion	Dürr boilers (Medusa)[1]
Speed	20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Complement	218
Armament	6 × 6 in (152.4 mm) guns 9 × 6-pounder quick firing guns 1 × 3-pounder gun 3 × machine guns 2 × torpedo tubes

The Marathon-class cruiser was a class of second class cruiser of the Royal Navy ordered under the naval programme of 1887. The class was a smaller version of the Mersey class.

Three of the ships, Melpomene, Magicienne and Marathon, were built for foreign (tropical) service, with a sheath of wood and copper - this added weight and made them slightly slower.