NOTES ON HERODOTUS THE PERSIAN WAR PAGE 3

1. At Abydos by the Hellespont, Xerxes looked down on his assembled troops from a white throne and was pleased but then he suddenly burst into tears and Artabanus asked him why. He said it was because in 100 years not one of these men would be alive.

2. Artabanus goes on to advise him again not to invade Greece and says he should be afraid of his two greatest enemies, land (not knowing what lies ahead) and sea (no harbour big enough for his fleet). But Xerxes says great prizes are won only by taking great risks. He prayed to the gods and made offerings of a flask a bowl and a sword to the sea at the Hellespont. Then the crossing was made. (See pp.36-37).

3. According to Herodotus the total number who crossed was 5,283,220 (an impossible figure). He says the most outstanding troop was the "Immortals" led by Hydarnes. As the men crossed a local asked Xerxes "Zeus, why take on the shape of a man to uproot Greece?".

4. Xerxes now asked the advice of Damaratus the exiled Spartan king who was with him. Damaratus checked that he really wanted his true opinion and then said that the Spartans would continue to fight till the last man died and that they are the best fighters on earth. Xerxes does not believe that any one who is not driven by the lash would fight so well. Damaratus says they fear the law, not the lash.

5. Some Greek cities sent the tokens of submission demanded by Xerxes including many of the northern states and the Thebans. The other Greeks swore that they would dedicate one tenth of the possessions of these states to the gods if they won the war.

6. Herodotus says that the main credit for the Greek victory goes to Athens who led the resistance on the sea. They tipped the balance and after the gods were responsible for the Greek victory. (Important passage p.43).

7. The oracle of Apollo at Delphi gave the Athenian messengers a bad prophecy which they were unhappy with of "calamity unescapable" and "doom". They asked for another and were told "Only a wooden wall will keep you safe" and "Blessed island Salamis, you will be the death of mothers' sons". Themistocles persuaded the Athenians that wooden walls meant the ships and they strengthened their navy. He also said the word "blessed" meant that Salamis would be a good place for them to fight.

SUMMARY OF THE PERSIAN WAR, HERODOTUS PAGE 4

1. The Greeks met in conference and tried to get over their disagreements. Xerxes meanwhile refused to execute three Greek spies caught in Sardis, he said it would be better to send them back to tell the Greeks what they had seen. He also allowed corn ships to go through to the Aegean on the basis that everything in Greece would eventually be his anyway.

2. Now the Thessalians reluctantly sided with the Persians when it became clear that the other Greeks (warned by Alexander of Macedon) were not willing to take a stand this far north. Once they went over to Xerxes they were firmly on his side.

3. Themistocles now made the decision to defend the mountain pass of Thermopylae on land and by sea the tip of Euboea, called Artemisium. These two battles happened over the same three days. Both places were of advantage to a smaller army as they were narrow and confined which suited the Greeks.

4. First the Greeks rebuilt the Phocian wall at Thermopylae and at Artemisium they heard of an oracle from the Delphians saying that they should pray to the winds, they will be allies.

5. Now the Persian fleet (enormous), anchored at Cape Sepias and were badly damaged by a huge north wind, at least 400 ships were wrecked. But still the Greeks were horrified at the size of the enemy fleet at Artemisium. 15 of the Persian ships were captured by mistake before the battle began.

6. At Artemisium there were 271 Greek ships and of these 127 were Athenian. Eurybiades was the supreme commander as many of the other cities would not serve under an Athenian.At first the greeks planned a retreat but the Euboeans begged them to stay, they bribed Themistocles with 30 talents and he in turn bribed Eurybiades with 5 and Adimantus 3 as if it was his own money. So they stayed.

7. The Persians sent a fleet of 200 ships around Euboea to seal off the end of the Euripus channel so that none of the Greek ships would escape. They were destroyed in a big storm on the first night of the battle at The Hollows on the tip of the island.Zeus brought this about.

8. A diver called Scyllias was with the Persian fleet and he swam (underwater) for 10 miles to warn the Greeks of the Euripus squadron. It is more likely he came by boat.

SUMMARY OF THE PERSIAN WAR HERODOTUS P.5

1. For the account of the Battle of Thermopylae see your textbook pp.54-64. For the account of the Battle of Artemisium see your textbook pp.65-72.

2. Having done well at Artemisium but forced to retreat, the Greeks moved down the Euripus Channel towards Salamis.They evacuated the women and children from Attica, some to Troezen in the Peloponnese and some to Salamis and Aegina. The whole Greek fleet assembled at Salamis.Eurybiades was in command.

3. There was a debate here and most of the generals wanted to go south and defend the Isthmus of Corinth. They were afraid of being blockaded on an island.

4. The Persians now entered Athens and destroyed all of the temples on the Acropolis. Some Athenians stayed and tried to defend a wooden wall but to little avail. The Persians climbed a sheer cliff and took the acropolis. When Xerxes sent some exiles up to sacrifice on the acropolis they saw an amazing sight, a fresh green shoot about 50 cm long was growing from the burnt olive tree sacred to the goddess Athene.

5. Meanwhile at Salamis there was a row going on between Themistocles and the other Greeks who wanted to go south. Adimantus said that the Athenians had no right to speak as they had no country and so Themistocles said that as long as they had a fleet theywere fine and he threatened to leave for Sicily. (See p77 for the reasons for the row).Themistocles was determined to stop the Peloponnesian generals breaking away from the fleet and so he sent a messenger, Sicinnus, to Xerxes telling him the Greeks were squabbling and if he surrounded them they would not be able to escape down south. Xerxes did this during the night and so the battle had to be fought at Salamis which is what Themistocles wanted.

6. The only one of Xerxes' commanders who thought it was a bad idea to fight at Salamis was Artemisia. She pointed out that the Greeks would naturally fall apart given time. He did not agree.

7. Next Aristides, a decent exiled Athenian and opponent of Themistocles arrived to tell the Greeks that they were surrounded. Themistocles was pleased as he knew they would believe Aristides and now his plan would be the one used.

8. For the account of the Battle of Salamis see your textbook pp.85-89.

9. News reached Persia fast of their defeat. There was great mourning. Mardonius persuaded Xerxes to leave him behind in Greece with an elite group of 300,000 infantry to see if he could fight a decisive land battle.

SUMMARY OF THE PERSIAN WAR HERODOTUS P.6

1. Themistocles now wanted to pursue Xerxes' fleet to the Hellespont but Eurybiades argued against this. He said that if the Persians were cut off from home they might fight desperately and win a victory, it was better to let them go he persuaded Themistocles that this was so.

2. Themistocles then said the same to the Athenians and let Xerxes know that it was he who made sure that the Persian fleet was allowed to go home. He then extorted some money out of some of the Greek islands.

3. The Greeks voted for the hero's prize and Themistocles won by a huge margin. He also received great honours in Sparta which was unusual. Timodemus tried to belittle this but was quieted by Themistocles.

4. In the winter of 479-480 BC Mardonius tried very hard to achieve an alliance with Athens against the other Greeks using Alexander of Macedon as a go-between. He offered great bribes but the Spartans asked the Athenians not to do this, it would be a crime. They offered to take care of the Athenian women and children. The Athenians said they would never have gone to the Persian side anyway, loving freedom,and wanting to avenge the destruction of their temples. They said to Alexander that as long as the sun is in the sky they will fight and not to come to them again with such an idea.

5. The Thebans now advised Mardonius to bribe each of the Greek

cities to defect and to break down the Greek alliance gradually but he does not take this advice. Meanwhile the Athenians were getting fed up waiting for the Peloponnesians to send their armies, Mardonius's offer was repeated. Lycidas, an Athenian who suggested taking it was stoned to death, as were his family.

6. Finally the Spartans sent 5,000 men, each with 7 helots up to Boeotia, led by Pausanias. The next and final major battle took place near Plataea.

7. For an account of the Battle of Plataea see your text book pp.108-126.

8. The last battle took place at Mycale in Ionia on the coast of Asia Minor on the same day as Plataea. See your textbook pp.127-130.