The History - Book 8 (Urania) by Herodotus

Author: Herodotus

Summary (Slides by nblm)

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Notes

• The Allies (Athenian Coalition): 271 ships - Athens:127 ships, Corinth: 40, Megara: 20, Aegina: 18, Sparta: 10.
  • Athenians: 127 vessels (which were manned in part by the Plataeans)
  • Corinthians: 40 vessels
  • Megarians: 20 vessels
  • Chalcideans: 20 vessels (these were furnished to them by the Athenians)
  • Eginetans: 18 vessels
  • Sicyonians: 12 vessels
  • Lacedaemonians (Spartans): 10 vessels
  • Epidaurians: 8 vessels
  • Eretrians: 7 vessels
  • Troezenians: 5 vessels
  • Styreans: 2 vessels
  • Ceans: 2 triremes and 2 penteconters
  • Locrians of Opus: 7 penteconters
• In spite of Sparta providing just 10 ships, Eurybiades from Sparta is in charge of the whole fleet, since the allies had said that they will not join the coalition if Sparta is not in charge. They didn’t want to serve under Athens.
• The Greeks get scared at the size of the Persian fleet and some of the fleet contemplate to flee. The Euboeans are the first on the path of the Persians. So they approach Eurybiades but he does not give them an answer. So they go to Themistocles, the Athenian commander and give him 30 talents (a large sum of money) to somehow make the fleet stay and defend Euboea.
• Themistocles bribes key commanders in the fleet and asks them to stay. They believe that the money is from Athens. He gives 5 talents to Eurybiades, 3 to Adeimantus (Corinthean leader) and keeps the rest for himself.
• The Persians decide to detach 200 ships from the main fleet and go around to try to encircle the Greeks. But severe storm comes in the evening and many ships are lost. Greeks get the upper hand in the first two days. But the third day sees lot of loss for Greeks.
• Themistocles gathers the captains and tells them that they should plan differently. He asks Euboeans to slaughter their cattle. Better for them to have than the enemy taking it later. He also sends messages to Ionians and Carians to either defect or withdraw from the fight, saying that their ancestors were Greeks. His strategy - if Xerxes doesn’t discover, Ionians might defect, if he discovers, he might distrust them and not include them.
• Persians are appalled to know that people compete with one another in Olympic games, not for money, but for an olive wreath and honor.
• Thessalians help the Persians destroy Phocis due to their long-standing enmity with the Phocians.
• When the Persians reach the temple at Delphi, a huge boulder falls from mount Parnassus on the army, crushing many soldiers. They flee in fear. Herodotus says they can still see the block of stone that fell till his time.
• Athenians get all the women and children out of Athens. There was a custom to leave a honey-cake every month in front of the temple in the Acropolis because the belief was that there was a snake in the temple which would eat it. The latest honey-cake is not eaten. So the goddess also might have fled. This makes everyone try to get out of the city.
• Greek fleet at Salamis (380 ships) -
  • From the Peloponnese:
    • Lacedaemonians (Spartans): 16 ships
    • Corinthians: 40 ships (the same number as at Artemisium)
    • Sicyonians: 15 ships
    • Epidaurians: 10 ships
    • Troezenians: 5 ships
    • Hermionians: 3 ships
  • From the Mainland beyond the Peloponnese:
    • Athenians: 180 ships, which was by far the largest contingent. (Unlike at Artemisium, they were manned wholly by Athenians, as the Plataeans had stayed behind to evacuate their households).
    • Megarians: 20 ships (the same number as at Artemisium)
    • Ambraciots: 7 ships
    • Leucadians: 3 ships
  • From the Islands:
    • Eginetans: 30 ships. They actually had more equipped to guard their own coasts, but sent their 30 best sailers to Salamis.
    • Chalcideans: 20 ships (the same as at Artemisium)
    • Eretrians: 7 ships
    • Ceans: 2 ships (their “old number”)
    • Naxians: 4 ships. Interestingly, these were originally sent by their citizens to join the Persians, but the Naxian captain Democritus persuaded them to join the Greeks instead.
    • Styreans: 2 ships (the same as at Artemisium)
    • Cythnians: 1 trireme and 1 penteconter
  • From Remote Regions:
    • Crotoniats: 1 ship. They were the only people from the remote lands beyond the immediate Greek region to send help, commanded by a man who had won the Pythian Games three times.
  • Penteconters (Fifty-oared galleys): Most allies brought the heavier triremes, but a few island nations only brought lighter penteconters:
    • Melians: 2 penteconters
    • Siphnians: 1 penteconter
    • Seriphians: 1 penteconter

• They summon a war council and many vote to fight at the isthmus near Corinth to protect Sparta. But many, especially Themistocles oppose this saying that fighting Persians in open water would lead to total defeat. Salamis is better because of the narrow water areas between the island of Salamis and the mainland.
• In the meantime, the Persians on the land attacked Athens, killed all the remaining people (who had interpreted the prophesy as building a wooden wall) and sacked the city.
• So the Athenians become ‘people without a city’. In the assembly when Themistocles talks someone says that he has no right since he does not have a city anymore. To which he replies that the people are still alive. So Athens is alive.
• Themistocles convinces Eurybiades about fighting in Salamis instead of the open sea and he backs Themistocles in the assembly the next day.
• Artemisia advices Xerxes to not charge into the Greeks at sea since the Greeks were better sailors. This is contrary to advice given by all his advisors. Xerxes is impressed by her wisdom.
• 272 - After hearing of Leonidas’ death, Peloponnesian forces gather at the Isthmus and rapidly build a wall to protect themselves. The rest of the Peloponnesians who are fighting at Salamis want to go there.
• 273 - Themistocles sends a message to the Persians saying that the Greeks are scared and are planning to flee. The Persians, hearing this advance their ships at night to fill the entire strait trapping the Greeks at Salamis.
• 275 - Artemisia was pursued by a Greek ship. She intentionally rams into a Persian ship. The Greeks think she has defected and stop pursuing. Xerxes who is watching from a mountain top, thinks that she is sunk a Greek ship. He later applauds her bravery. Says - my men fight like women and women like men.
• 276 - The Greeks defeat the Persians at Salamis.
• 277 - Xerxes thinks of going back fearing that the Greeks might cut off the passage at Hellespont and trap him here.
• 278 - Mardonius advices him to go back to Persia and says he will carry the fight with 300k men and will come back victorious. Xerxes asks Artemesia who also advises the king to go back saying he got what he came for - he burnt Athens to the ground.
• Xerxes goes back. Greeks debate whether to pursue. Themistocles wants to pursue but Eurybiades says it is not good for Greeks to trap the Persians. Then they might destroy Greece in desperation. Themistocles changes his mind and supports this. He also sends a message to the Persian king saying that he has stopped the Greeks from pursuing him.
• Mardonius chooses the best men in the army to stay with him to fight against the Greeks while Xerxes goes back.
• Greek commanders vote to determine who fought most valiantly. Each person gets two votes. The first vote - they cast for themselves since each think they did better than others. The second, they cast for someoene else. When the votes are tallied, they find that Themistocles has the highest. But out of envy they decide to not award him anything.
• Themistocles goes to Sparta and he is given great honors there. They give Eurybiades an olive crown since he led the whole diverse troop. They also give an olive crown to Themistocles. They also give him a beautiful chariot.
• There was some debate among historians of the time whether Xerxes traveled back by land or by sea. Herodotus says though there are different accounts, Xerxes most probably traveled with the rest of his army through land, through Hellespont.
• Mardonius sends Alexander of Macedon as an envoy to the Athenians. He wants them to surrender. He chooses Alexander because he has lineage with both Greeks and Persians and is respected in both places.
• Alexander reaches Athens. The Athenians wait for Spartans to come so that they are also aware of the response. The Spartans when they hear that Alexander is going over to Athens, rush to go to Athens assuming that the Athenians might agree to surrender and form a pact with the Persians.
• Alexander earnestly tries to persuade - “The king’s power surpasses that of man, and his arm reaches far. If then ye do not hasten to conclude a peace, when such fair terms are offered you, I tremble to think of what you will have to endure —you, who of all the allies lie most directly in the path of danger”
• Athenians tell Alexander - “So long as the sun keeps his present course, we will never join alliance with Xerxes””
• They tell the Spartans - “Not all the gold that the whole earth contains —not the fairest and most fertile of all lands—would bribe us to take part with the Medes and help them to enslave our countrymen”
• The book ends with a looming threat of Mardonius getting the news from Alexander and preparing for an attack.

Quotes

• for internal strife is a thing as much worse than war carried on by a united people, as war itself is worse than peace. (View Highlight)
• if a Lacedaemonian did not take the command, they would break up the fleet, for never would they serve under the Athenians. (View Highlight)
• for internal strife is a thing as (View Highlight)
• Then Themistocles, who thought that if the Ionian and Carian ships could be detached from the barbarian fleet, the Greeks might be well able to defeat the rest, called the captains together. (View Highlight)
• With regard to the retreat, he said that he would take upon himself to watch the proper moment, and would manage matters so that they should return to Greece without loss. These words pleased the captains; (View Highlight)
• There came now a few deserters from Arcadia to join the Persians —poor men who had nothing to live on, and were in want of employment. (View Highlight)
• “They are holding the Olympic Games, seeing the athletic sports and the char- iot-races.” “And what,” said the man, “is the prize for which they contend?” “An olive- wreath,” returned the others, “which is given to the man who wins.” (View Highlight)
• Hearing the men say that the prize was not money but a wreath of olive, he could not forbear from exclaiming before them all: “Good heavens! Mardonius, what manner of men are these against whom thou hast brought us to fight? —men who contend with one another, not for money, but for honour!” (View Highlight)
• The land of Phocis, however, was entirely overrun, for the Thessalians led the Persian army through the whole of it; and wherever they went, the country was wasted with fire and sword, the cities and even the temples being wilfully set alight by the troops. (View Highlight)
• The barbarians had just reached in their advance the chapel of Minerva Pronaia, when a storm of thunder burst suddenly over their heads — at the same time two crags split off from Mount Parnassus, and rolled down upon them with a loud noise, crushing vast numbers beneath their weight while from the temple of Minerva there went up the war-cry and the shout of victory. (View Highlight)
• they learnt that the Greeks of those parts, only concerning them- selves about their own safety, were building a wall across the Isthmus, and intended to guard the Peloponnese, and let the rest of Greece take its chance. (View Highlight)
• Immediately upon their ar- rival, proclamation was made that every Athe- nian should save his children and household as he best could; (View Highlight)
• So the priestess told the people what had happened; where- upon they left Athens the more readily, since they believed that the goddess had already abandoned the citadel. (View Highlight)
• the city, however, which sent by far the greatest number of ships, and the best sailers, was Athens. (View Highlight)
• They imagined themselves to have discovered the true meaning of the oracle uttered by the Pythoness, which promised that “the wooden wall” should never be taken —the wooden wall, they thought, did not mean the ships, but the place where they had taken refuge. (View Highlight)
• The whole number of the ships, without counting the penteconters, was three hundred and seventy- eight. (View Highlight)
• Then Themis- tocles, seating himself at his side, went over all the arguments which he had heard from Mnesiphilus, pretending as if they were his own, and added to them many new ones be- sides; (View Highlight)
• At the Isthmus thou wilt fight in an open sea, which is greatly to our disadvantage, since our ships are heavier and fewer in number than the enemy’s; (View Highlight)
• 61. When Themistocles had thus spoken, Adeimantus the Corinthian again attacked him, and bade him be silent, since he was a man without a city; (View Highlight)
• If not, we will take our families on board, and go, just as we are, to Siris, in Italy, which is ours from of old, and which the prophecies declare we are to colonise some day or other. (View Highlight)
• Spare thy ships, and do not risk a battle; for these people are as much superior to thy people in seaman- ship, as men to women. (View Highlight)
• For as the Persians penetrated further into Greece, they were joined continually by fresh nations. (View Highlight)
• This, too, thou shouldst remember, O king; good masters are apt to have bad servants, and bad masters good ones. Now, as thou art the best of men, thy servants must needs be a sorry set. (View Highlight)
• was pleased beyond all others with the reply of Artemisia; and whereas, even before this, he had always esteemed her much, he now praised her more than ever. (View Highlight)
• Seven nations inhabit the Peloponnese. Two of them are aboriginal, and still continue in the regions where they dwelt at the first to wit, the Arcadians and the Cynurians. (View Highlight)
• All the cities of these seven nations, except those mentioned above, stood aloof from the war; and by so doing, if I may speak freely, they in fact took part with the Medes. (View Highlight)
• fear has seized the Greeks and they are meditating a hasty flight. (View Highlight)
• Know that what the Medes have now done was at my instance; for it was necessary, as our men would not fight here of their own free will, to make them fight whether they would or no. (View Highlight)
• It is also reported, that a phantom in the form of a woman appeared to the Greeks, and, in a voice that was heard from end to end of the fleet, cheered them on to the fight; first, however, rebuking them, and saying “Strange men, how long are ye going to back water?” (View Highlight)
• For as the Greeks fought in order and kept their line, while the barbarians were in confusion and had no plan in anything that they did, the issue of the battle could scarce be other than it was. (View Highlight)
• the Persians fought far more bravely here than at Eubcea, and indeed surpassed themselves; each did his utmost through fear of Xerxes, for each thought that the king’s eye was upon himself. (View Highlight)
• But on the side of the barbarians more perished by drowning than in any other way, since they did not know how to swim. (View Highlight)
• During the whole time of the battle Xerxes sate at the base of the hill called /Egaleos, over against Salamis; and whenever he saw any of his own captains perform any worthy exploit he inquired concerning him; and the man’s name was taken down by his scribes, together with the names of his father and his city. (View Highlight)
• — it was especially fortunate for her that not one of those on board the Calyndian ship survived to become her accuser. (View Highlight)
• “My men have behaved like women, my women like men! (View Highlight)
• The Greeks who gained the greatest glory of all in the sea-fight off Salamis were the Eginetans, and after them the Athenians. (View Highlight)
• Our hopes hang not altogether on the fate of a few planks, but on our brave steeds and horsemen. (View Highlight)
• Along the whole line of road there are men (they say) stationed with horses, in number equal to the number of days which the journey takes, allowing a man and horse to each day; and these men will not be hindered from accomplishing at their best speed the distance which they have to go, either by snow, or rain, or heat, or by the darkness of night. The first rider delivers his despatch to the second, and the second passes it to the third; and so it is borne from hand to hand along the whole line, like the light in the torch-race, (View Highlight)
• Make not the Persians, O king! a laughing-stock to the Greeks. If thy affairs have succeeded ill, it has not been by their fault; thou canst not say that thy Persians have ever shown themselves cowards. What matters it if Phoenicians and Egyptians, Cyprians and Cilicians, have misbehaved? their misconduct touches not us. (View Highlight)
• The advice of Artemesia pleased Xerxes well; for she had exactly uttered his own thoughts. I, for my part, do not believe that he would have remained had all his counsellors, both men and women, united to urge his stay, so great was the alarm that he felt. (View Highlight)
• He likewise sent away at this time one of the principal of his eunuchs, a man named Hermotimus, a Pedasian, who was bidden to take charge of these sons. (View Highlight)
• Remember also, thou goest home having gained the purpose of thy expedition; for thou hast burnt Athens!” (View Highlight)
• still pressing the pursuit, and making all haste to the Hellespont, there to break clown the bridges. (View Highlight)
• Eurybiades, however, delivered a contrary opinion. “It,” he said, “the Greeks should break down the bridges, it would be the worst thing that could possibly happen for Greece. (View Highlight)
• The Greeks ought to let him depart; and when he was gone from among them, and had returned into his own country, then would be the time for them to contend with him for the possession of that.” (View Highlight)
• Be sure we have not done this by our own might. It is the work of gods and heroes, who were jealous that one man should be king at once of Europe and of Asia —more especially a man like this, unholy and presumptuous (View Highlight)
• At this council Themistocles advised that the Greeks should follow on through the (View Highlight)
• but they were wretchedly poor, stinted for land, and cursed with two unprofitable gods, who always dwelt with them and would never quit their island — to wit, Poverty and Helplessness. (View Highlight)
• since they had always esteemed him a wise man, and he had lately proved himself most truly wise and well-judging. (View Highlight)
• Mardonius made choice of the troops that were to stay with him; and, first of all, he took the whole body called the “Immortals,” except only their leader, Hydarnes, who refused to quit the person of the king. (View Highlight)
• All along their line of march, in every country where they chanced to be, his soldiers seized and devoured whatever corn they could find belonging to the inhabitants; (View Highlight)
• But the truth is, that the king, as I have already said, returned into Asia by the same road as the rest of the army. (View Highlight)
• Then each man gave himself the first vote, since each considered that he was himself the worthiest; but the second votes were given chiefly to Themistocles. (View Highlight)
• Envy, however, hindered the chiefs from coming to a decision, and they all sailed away to their homes without making any award. (View Highlight)
• Nevertheless Themistocles was regarded everywhere as by far the wisest man of all the Greeks; and the whole country rang with his fame. (View Highlight)
• but Themistocles was given a crown of olive too, as the prize of wisdom and dexterity. He was likewise presented with the most beautiful chariot that could be found in Sparta; (View Highlight)
• One of these ambassadors was Herodotus, the son of Basileides. (View Highlight)
• The approach of spring, and the knowledge that Mardonius was in Thessaly, roused the Greeks from inaction. (View Highlight)
• he therefore expected that, if he could form alliance with them, he would easily get the mastery of the sea (View Highlight)
• This Alexander was descended in the seventh degree from Perdiccas, who obtained the sovereignty over the Macedonians in the way which I will now relate. T (View Highlight)
• In those early times poverty was not confined to the people: kings themselves were poor, and so here it was the king’s wife who cooked the victuals. (View Highlight)
• But the king’s power surpasses that of man, and his arm reaches far. If then ye do not hasten to conclude a peace, when such fair terms are offered you, I tremble to think of what you will have to endure —you, who of all the allies lie most directly in the path of danger, (View Highlight)
• Nay, we shall oppose him unceasingly, trusting in the aid of those gods and heroes whom he has lightly esteemed, whose houses and whose images he has burnt with fire. (View Highlight)
• Not all the gold that the whole earth contains —not the fairest and most fertile of all lands—would bribe us to take part with the Medes and help them to enslave our countrymen. (View Highlight)
• “We know, as well as thou dost, that the power of the Mede is many times greater than our own: we did not need to have that cast in our teeth. Nevertheless we cling so to freedom that we shall offer what resistance we may. Seek not to persuade us into making terms with the barbarian —say what thou wilt, thou wilt never gain our assent. (View Highlight)
• ‘So long as the sun keeps his present course, we will never join alliance with (View Highlight)