Herodotus: Histories Book VIII

Description

The Battle of Salamis was the first great (and unexpected) victory of the Greeks over the Persian forces under Xerxes, whose defeat had important consequences for the subsequent history and self-image of Europe. This battle forms the centre-piece of book VIII of Herodotus' Histories. The book also illuminates Greek views of themselves and of peoples from the East, the problematic relationships between different Greek states in the face of the invasion, and the role of the divine in history. This introduction and commentary pays particular attention to the history and culture of Achaemenid Persia and the peoples of its empire. It offers much help with the language of the text (which has been prepared for ease of reading), and deals with major literary and historical questions. It will be of especial use to intermediate and advanced Greek students, but also provides up-to-date scholarly materials for graduate students and professional classicists. Cover Title Copyright CONTENTS MAPS PREFACE ABBREVIATIONS I. ANCIENT AUTHORS AND WORKS II. TEXTS AND EDITIONS OF BOOK 8 III. MODERN WORKS INTRODUCTION 1 MEDES AND PERSIANS 2 GREEKS AND PERSIANS 3 XERXES IN HERODOTUS 4 ACHAEMENID CAMPAIGNS 5 THE BATTLES OF BOOK 8 6 STRUCTURE AND NARRATIVE MODES 1 Individuals 2 Military campaigns 3 Episodes 4 Narrative modes 7 THE LANGUAGE OF HERODOTUS 8 LIFE OF HERODOTUS (BY S. R. WEST) 9 THE TEXT 1 Transmission and ancient reception (a) Transmission (b) Reception in antiquity 2 The text of this edition HPOΔOTOY IƩTOPIωN ϴ OYPANIA 1–26 Battles at Artemisium and the aftermath 1–5 The Greeks 6–8 The Persians 9–14 The first battle and a violent storm 15–18 The second battle 19–22 Greek tactics 23–6 On the Persian side 27–33 Hostility between Thessaly and Phocis 34–9 The Persian attack on Delphi 40–82 The prelude to Salamis 40–50.1 The abandoning of Athens; the Greek forces 50.2–55 The capture and burning of Athens 56–63 Greek despondency and deliberations 64–5 Divine manifestations 66–70 Persian deliberations 71–7 Greek disagreements and Themistocles’ message to Xerxes 78–82 Aristeides and Themistocles 83–96 The battle of Salamis 83–90 The battle begins; the Persian perspective 91–6 The battle from the Greek side 97–129 The aftermath 97–103 Persian reactions to the defeat 104–7 The revenge of the eunuch Hermotimus 108–12 Greek military activity 113–20 Mardonius selects his army and Xerxes returns to Persia 121–5 Greek honours to gods and men 126–9 Artabazus attacks Olynthus and Potidaea 130–44 The following spring 130–2 Mutual fear keeps the two sides apart 133–9 Two ambassadors of Mardonius: Mys and Alexander; the origin of the Macedonian monarchy 140–4 Debate at Athens COMMENTARY 1–26 BATTLES AT ARTEMISIUM AND THE AFTERMATH 1–2.1 Catalogue of the Greek forces 2.2–3.2 The question of leadership 4–5 Greek terror and Euboean bribery of Themistocles 6–7 Persian reactions 8 Scyllies the diver 9–11 The first battle 12–14 A violent storm 15–18 The second battle 19–26 After the battle 19–20 Themistocles’ plans and Euboean forgetfulness 21 News of Thermopylae causes the Greeks to retreat 22 Themistocles’ inscriptions 23 News of the Greek retreat reaches the Persians 24–5 Persian sightseeing at Thermopylae 26 Tritantaechmes’ ‘most noble opinion’ on the Olympic games 27–33 HOSTILITY BETWEEN THESSALY AND PHOCIS 27–8 Origins of the Phocian–Thessalian conflict: Phocian stratagems 29–30 The dispute continued 31–3 Thessalian revenge: Persian destruction in Phocis 34–9 THE PERSIAN ATTACK ON DELPHI 34–5 The Persians divide their forces and march on Delphi 36 A miraculous event at Delphi 37–9 The destruction of the Persians 40–82 THE PRELUDE TO SALAMIS 40–1 Abandonment of Athens 42–8 Greek forces at Salamis 49–50.1 Greek deliberations on where to fight 50.2–53 The capture and burning of Athens 54–5 A message to Susa, and a miraculous olive shoot 56–8 Greek despondency and Mnesiphilus’ intervention 59–63 The Greeks reconsider: debate between Themistocles and Adeimantus 64–5 Divine manifestations: an earthquake and a miraculous Eleusinian procession 66–7 Xerxes consults his leaders 68 Artemisia’s advice 69–70 Xerxes decides to fight at Salamis 71–3 The Greek wall at the Isthmus 74–5 Greek dissatisfaction and Themistocles’ message to Xerxes 76 Manoeuvres of the Persian ships 77 H. on prophecy 78–82 Aristeides and Themistocles 83–96 THE BATTLE OF SALAMIS 83–4 The battle begins 85–90 The battle viewed from the Persian perspective 87–8 Artemisia’s cunning 89–90 Persian casualties and the Phoenicians’ fatal attempt to blame the Ionians 91–96 The battle from the Greek side 94 A false tale of Corinthian desertion 95–6 The end of the battle 97–125 THE AFTERMATH 97 Xerxes’ reactions to the defeat 98–9 The Persian messenger system 100 Mardonius advises Xerxes with an eye to the future 101 –3 Xerxes asks Artemisia for a second opinion 104–6 The revenge of the eunuch Hermotimus 107 Xerxes leaves for Persia 108 Eurybiades opposes Themistocles’ plan to pursue the Persian fleet 109 Themistocles changes his advice 110 Themistocles contacts Xerxes again 111–12 Greek money-collecting 113 Mardonius selects his army 114 Xerxes’ ill-omened reply to a Spartan embassy 115–17 The sufferings of Xerxes’ retreating army 118–20 A false tale about Xerxes’ retreat refuted 121–3 Greek honours to gods and men 124–5 Themistocles honoured in Sparta; an ungracious reaction 126–9 ARTABAZUS ATTACKS OLYNTHUS AND POTIDAEA 126–8 Potidaea revolts 129 A remarkable flood-tide destroys the Persians 130–44 THE FOLLOWING SPRING 130–2 The fleets reassemble; mutual reluctance to advance 133–9 Two ambassadors of Mardonius: Mys and Alexander 133–5 Mardonius sends Mys to consult oracles; a remarkable response at the Ptoum 136 Mardonius sends Alexander to Athens 137–9 Alexander’s ancestry; how Perdiccas created the Macedonian monarchy 140–4 Debate at Athens 140 Alexander’s speech 141–2 The Spartan ambassadors’ speech 143 The Athenian reply to Alexander 144 The Athenian reply to the Spartans; the importance of ‘Hellenism’ BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX 1. GREEK 2. GENERAL