Herodotus The Histories Books 6 8 Demaratus Demaratus
Herodotus, The Histories Books 6 -8
Demaratus • Demaratus then leaves Sparta. What is his parting comment at the Spartans, when he is asked how he likes being a magistrate, after being a king? • “This question will be the beginning of great things for Sparta – either for good or for evil. ” (6. 68)
Cleomenes • How did Cleomenes end his days? • His plot against Demaratus came to light and he, being frightened, escaped to Thessaly where he gathered troops to attack Sparta. Upon hearing this, the Spartans brought him home and restored him to his position, but it was obvious by that point he had gone mad. His relatives put him in the stocks and he killed himself by cutting his body into strips. (6. 74 -6. 75) • Why did the people of Greece believe he killed himself in this way? • Most believed it was punishment for corrupting the Priestess at Delphi. The Athenians said it was or desecrating the sacred land of Demeter and Persephone at Eleusis. The Argives maintained it was a punishment because he committed a sacrilege by fetching Argive fugitives from a sacred grove by trickery, cutting them into pieces and burning the sacred grove. (6. 75) • Why do the Spartans say he went mad? • He went mad from drinking his wine in the Scythian fashion, without water. (6. 84)
The Persian Lineage • According to Herodotus, to what two things did this prophecy of the oracle refer: “Delos too I will shake, though it has never been shaken. ” • This prophecy referred to an earthquake that struck Delos, but it also signified the shock which Delos suffered under the reigns of Darius, Xerxes, and Artaxerxes. (6. 98) • What are the meanings of the names of Darius, Xerxes and Ataxerxes? • Darius means “Worker, ” Xerxes, “Warrior, ” and Artaxerxes, “Great Warrior. ” (6. 99)
The Spartans • Who was Pheidippides, what was his mission, and what was the result? • Pheidippides was the long distance runner who ran from Athens to Sparta, 140 miles, in two days, to seek their assistance at Marathon. Sparta declined due to observing the festival of Carneia. (105 -6. 106, fns 45, 46) • When Hippias lost his tooth while guiding his troops to marathon, what did he believe it to mean? • Hippias believed it was an omen, meaning he would take no part of that land. (6. 107) • Why did the Spartans tell the Plataeans to surrender to the Athenians rather than to Sparta? What was the real reason? • The Spartans told the Plataeans they should surrender to Athens because they were too far from Sparta and Athens was their neighbor; however, the real reason was that the Spartans wanted to cause the Athenians trouble with the Boeotians. (6. 108)
Miltiades • Why did Miltiades encourage the Athenians to go to battle despite the fact that the Persian army was much larger than the Athenian forces? • He encouraged the Athenians to go to war with the Persians and take a chance of winning rather than submit to Persia and suffer enslavement. He said that if they submitted, Hippias would be restored to power over them and Athens would be worse off, but if they win, they will be pre-eminent among all the Greeks. (6. 109) • After hearing Miltiades’ speech, what did Callimachus, the War Archon, vote to do? • He cast the decisive vote for Athens to go to war against Persia. (6. 110)
The Battle of Marathon • The Athenians ran into battle (probably the last 200 m after a brisk advance). Up until that point, men ran in fear of the Persians, but on that day the Athenians charged forward in what appeared to be a suicide attempt to the Persians. • The Persian forces were much larger, so the Athenians had to stretch their forces to match the Persians; this left the Athenian center sparse. • The Persians broke through the center of the line, but then the Athenians and Plataeans on the wings turned in on the middle and routed the Persians, winning the battle. • Miltiades led the Greeks, and Hippias the Persians. • The Battle took place in [Sep. ] 490 BC. • According to Herodotus, the Athenians lost 192 men against the Persians’ 6400. (6. 11 -6. 117)
Epilogue • The Spartans made the march to Marathon in three days, an average of 47 miles per day, but arrived a day late. (6. 120) • The humorous tale of Cleisthenes the tyrant’s family affairs that Herodotus relates – the Trial of the Suiters. “Hippocleides doesn’t care. ” (horsing around) (6. 126 -6. 130)
Book 7: Thermopylae (the Gates of Fire) • How long did it take Darius to raise a new army and navy to attack Greece? • It took three years. (7. 1) • At the beginning of Book 7, why did Darius decide to go to war with Egypt? • Darius went to war with Egypt in order to put down a revolt there. (7. 1) • Whom did Darius name as his heir? Why? • Darius named Xerxes his heir, • 1) because Xerxes was born when Darius was on the throne in Persia, and • 2) Herodotus points out the strong influence of Xerxes’ mother Atossa, who was the daughter of Cyrus. (7. 2 -7. 3)
Xerxes decides to invade Greece • At first Xerxes only intended to attack Egypt. Why did Xerxes invade Greece? • Xerxes invaded Greece because Mardonius persuaded him to do so, by telling Xerxes that • 1) the Athenians should be punished for their crimes (revenge) • 2) victory will bring him worldwide honor and deter future invasions, and • 3) Europe was the richest, most beautiful place anywhere, too good for any mortal besides the Persian king. • Likewise, the Pisistratidae and Onomacritus also heavily urged him on, using bits of statements of oracles that suited their purpose. (7. 5 -7. 6) • What were Mardonius’ motives for urging this campaign? • Mardonius’ motives for urging Xerxes to invade Greece were his hope to become governor of Greece and his love of mischief and adventure. (7. 6)
The reasons Xerxes gave his officers for their march against Greece • Persians have never remained inactive. • He must add as much power to Persia as his predecessors did. • He will win glory, riches and revenge for Persia. (7. 8) • [Note Xerxes’ plan was to bridge the Hellespont and march an army through Europe into Greece, and punish the Athenians for attacking Sardis and, unprovoked, burning their temples and sacred groves. After crushing the Athenians and their neighbors, the Persian empire would extend so that its boundaries will be God’s own sky, and there will be no nation which will be able to withstand them. (7. 8) Also note Mardonius’ critique of the Greeks in 7. 9. ]
*Xerxes real reason for attacking Greece* • Who alone urged Xerxes to reconsider his plans to attack the Greeks? • Artabanus, Xerxes’ uncle, advised him that it was an unnecessary risk to attack Greece. • It is impossible to choose a better course without debating both sides. The Greeks have a reputation for valor. One disaster, on either land or sea, could befall the Persians. Take more time to plan carefully. God smites the great ones, often a great army is destroyed by a little one, haste is the mother of failure. He pointed out that Xerxes was being influenced by pride and Mardonius’ slanderous words against the Greeks. (7. 10) • When Xerxes angrily refused this advice, what did Xerxes give as his reasons that it was necessary to conquer Greece? • If the Persians make no move, the Athenians will – they will have to invade Persia. Retreat is no longer possible for either side. “[I]f we do not inflict the wound, we shall assuredly receive it. ” In the enmity between them there is no middle course. (7. 11)
Xerxes begins his invasion • How many years did it take Xerxes to bring his massive army together and prepare it for the invasion of Greece? • It took four years [484 -481 BC]. (7. 20) • What was the first feat of engineering the Persians completed on the march? How did the Phoenicians prove themselves exemplary in this work? How long did it take? • The first great feat was digging the canal that made Mt. Athos an island. The Phoenicians proved themselves exemplary in this work in that when they went to dig their portion of the trench, they began by digging twice the width prescribed, and as they dug down they tapered their trench so that it was the prescribed width at the bottom. In this way they avoided having the sides collapse, whereas all the other teams’ sides collapsed at one time or another while digging. It took three years. (7. 22 -7. 23)
Xerxes’ Hubris • What does Xerxes demand of the Greek poleis (excluding Sparta and Athens)? Why? • Xerxes demanded tributes of earth and water in order to test whether they would submit to him out of fear, and thus to prove to himself that he had made the right decision in attacking Greece. (7. 32) • Why were men whipping the waters of the Hellespont? • Xerxes demanded that they do this in order to punish the strait for destroying their bridge. He also ordered that the men responsible for the bridges have their heads cut off. (7. 35) • Why did Xerxes have the fifth son of Pythius killed? • Xerxes had the fifth son of Pythius killed because Xerxes had been generous with Pythius, and then Pythius presumed to ask him for the favor of leaving this eldest son behind while the other four accompanied Xerxes to battle. He calls him ‘slave. ’ (7. 39)
Building of the first successful Hellespont bridge • It was a pontoon bridge. • 1) Lash together ships and moor them slantwise to the Black Sea and at right angles to the Hellespont in order to lessen the strain on the cables. • 2) Anchor them both upstream and downstream. • 3) Run flax and papyrus cables along the ships to both shores. • 4) Cut and lay planks equal in width to the floats over the cables and bind them together. • 5) Cover the planks with brushwood and then soil. • 6) Construct a wall along each side to prevent the animals from seeing the water. (7. 36)
Xerxes' The Bridge Over the Hellespont • http: //edsitement. neh. gov/sites/edsitement. neh. gov/files/Bridges 03. swf
The Wise Counsel of Artabanus • Before returning to Susa, Artabanus warns Xerxes “that the two mightiest powers in the world are allied against you. ” What does he mean? • “the two mightiest powers” were the land the sea. There was a lack of safe harbors large enough to house their fleet so ships would be left at risk on the open sea. The land itself, the greater distance the Persians advance, will starve them. (7. 48 -7. 49) • What other danger does Artabanus warn Xerxes to avoid (concerning the Ionians)? • He advised Xerxes not to bring the Ionian allies of Persia, as this would force them to betray their own blood, which might cause them instead to turn against Xerxes. (7. 51) • Did Xerxes think the fears of Artabanus were well founded? Why or why not? • No, Xerxes believed that his power and will were so great, and his massive army so awesome, that he did not really consider anything a threat to him. (7. 50, 7. 52)
The Persian Forces • According to Herodotus, how many men did Xerxes have when he first entered Europe? • Herodotus says Xerxes counted 1, 700, 000 men. (7. 60) • Why does Herodotus say the corps of the Immortals is given this name? (7. 83) • The corps was known as the Immortals because it was invariably kept up to strength; if a man was killed or fell sick, the vacancy he left was at once filled, so that its strength was never more or less than 10, 000. (7. 83) • Who is Artemisia and why is she significant? (7. 99) • Artemisia was tyrant of Halicarnassus who commanded five ships of war which “were the most famous in the fleet. ” She was motivated by her own spirit of adventure and manly courage. She gave the soundest advice of all the confederate commanders. (7. 99)
The Wise Counsel of Demaratus • When Xerxes asked Demaratus, the former king of Sparta, how Persia would do against the Greeks, how did Demaratus answer? • Speaking more for the Spartans than for the Greeks as a whole, Demaratus answered that the Spartans would never submit to Persia, even if the rest of Greece did, and might even defeat Xerxes. This is because their master was Law, and they feared it more than the Persian subjects feared Xerxes. The Spartans, fighting singly, are as good as any, but fighting together they are the best soldiers in the world. Their law says never retreat in battle; conquer or die. (7. 101 -7. 102, 7. 104) • How did Xerxes respond to Demaratus? • Xerxes laughed. He questioned the Spartans’ abilities by challenging the abilities of Demaratus and other Greeks with him against the Persians. He asked how outnumbered men, even if they be 50, 000, could stand up to an army as big as his, especially since they are not under a single master but free to do as they please. (7. 103, 7. 105)
Earth and Water • Xerxes sent no demand for submission to Athens and Sparta. Why? • Xerxes sent no demand for submission to them because when Darius sent messengers, at Athens they were thrown into the pit like criminals, and at Sparta they were pushed into a well – and told if they wanted earth and water for the king, to get it there. (7. 133)
Most important poleis • Herodotus discusses the two most important cities in the war against the Persians. What are they? Which is most important? Why? • Athens and Sparta were the two most important cities, though Herodotus states that Athens was the most important in determining whether Greece prevailed or fell. If the Athenians had abandoned their country, the Persians would have controlled the sea and the Spartans would have been isolated, to die nobly alone. Greece was saved by Athens as she held the balance; whichever side she joined was sure to prevail. Athens roused the other Greeks to battle. (7. 139)
The Wooden Wall • The Athenians received an oracle saying that all else will be captured by the Persians except for “the wooden wall. ” A debate followed; who convinced them as to what the oracle meant and what did he say it meant? • Themistocles convinced them that the oracle referred to the fleet. (7. 143) • This same man also convinced the Athenians to invest money into a fleet of warships on a previous occasion. How did he do this and was this a wise investment? • The Athenians had amassed a large sum of money from the new mines at Larium. Themistocles persuaded them, instead of distributing the money to all citizens, to spend it on the construction of 200 warships for use in the war with Aegina. In fact, the ships were not used in that war and were available for Greece in her hour of need. (7. 144)
Commitment vs. Hubris • What three decisions were made at the conference of Greek states loyal to the general cause? • They agreed to patch up their own quarrels and stop infighting. They then resolved to send spies into Asia to get information about the Persians. Last they decided to send an embassies to Argos and Sicily to seek alliances. (7. 145) • When the Persians captured the three Greek spies, why did Xerxes release them? • Xerxes pointed out that if the spies had been executed, the Greeks would not have been able to learn in good time how incalculably great the Persian strength was – and the killing of three men would not have done the Greeks much harm; but if the spies returned home, he was confident that their report on the magnitude of the Persian power would induce the Greeks to surrender. (7. 147)
The Reliability of Allies • Did the Argives join the alliance against Persia? No. (7. 148 -7. 152) • Did Gelon, tyrant of Sicily join the alliance against Persia? No. (7. 1577. 163) • Did the Corcyraeans join the alliance against Persia and aid the Greeks? No. (7. 168) • Did the Cretans join the alliance against Persia? No. (7. 169) • Did the Thessalians join the alliance against Persia? No. (7. 172 - 7. 174)
Thermopylae • Where did the Greeks decide to make their stand after they withdrew from Thessaly? • They decided to defend the pass at Thermopylae. (7. 175 -7. 176) • [Herodotus tells us that the Persian army at Thermopylae, supplemented by allies added since they entered Europe, numbered 5, 283, 220 men (7. 186). The Greek monument at Thermopylae says there were 3, 000 Persians. Modern estimates say about 300, 000. ] • Approximately how many Greeks were there at Thermopylae and how many were Spartans? • There were about 5200 hoplites plus the Locrians. 300 were Spartans. (7. 2027. 203)
The Spartans at Thermopylae • Who commanded the Greeks at Thermopylae? • King Leonidas of Sparta commanded the whole army. (7. 204) • How did Leonidas select the men to accompany him? • He selected fathers of living sons. (7. 205) • What was Sparta’s plan in sending only 300 men to defend the pass at Thermopylae? • Leonidas and his men were sent in advance of the main army so the sight of them might encourage other Greeks to fight and prevent them form joining the Persians. The intention was to send the rest of the army after the religious festival of the Carneia was over. The other allied states were also waiting for the Olympic festival to finish. No one expected the battle at Thermopylae to be decided so soon. (7. 206)
The Battle of Thermopylae • Xerxes sent a man to spy on the Greeks. What did the spy see the Spartans doing? • The spy saw that some of the Spartans were stripped for exercise, while others were combing their hair. (7. 208) • How long does Xerxes wait expecting the Greeks to withdraw? • Xerxes waits four days and then attacks on the fifth day. (7. 210) • What does Herodotus say was plain enough to Xerxes after the Medes attacked and failed to move the Spartans? • Herodotus says that Xerxes “had in his army many men, indeed, but few soldiers. ” (7. 211) • Who did Xerxes send into battle after he withdrew the Medes? • Xerxes sent in the Immortals, but they faired no better than the Medes. (7. 211)
A traitor turns the tide • The Persians were unable to break through the pass at Thermopylae, until a man came forward and, for a reward, told Xerxes of a path around the Greeks. What was his name? • Ephialtes was the traitor. (7. 213). [Today, his name means ‘nightmare’ in Greek. ] • What did the Delphic oracle prophesize about the fate of Sparta against Persia? When Leonidas decided to stay and fight, what did this signify? • The oracle prophesized that either Sparta will fall to the Persians or she must lose a king. It signified that Leonidas was sacrificing his life for his city. (7. 2207. 221) • When Leonidas learned that the Persians were encircling him, he dismissed all the Greek allies except whom? • Only the 700 Thespians and the 400 Thebans remained with the 300 Spartans. (7. 222) [Herodotus slanders the Thebans due to anti-Theban propaganda in Athens at that time. ]
Thermopylae: The final chapter • One of the Spartan soldiers was told that the Persians shoot so many arrows, that the sun is blocked out by them. What was his name and what did he reply? • Dieneces replied, “If the Persians hide the sun, we shall have our battle in the shade. ” (7. 226) • Could the battle of Thermopylae be viewed as a moral victory for the Greeks? Why? • Yes; the Spartans (and Thespians) fought bravely to the last man, and Leonidas sacrificed himself for the sake of his city. The Greeks delayed the Persians for seven days and inflicted tremendous casualties on them. Thermopylae became a symbol. (7. 219 -7. 228) • How many Spartans fell at Thermopylae? • 298 Spartans fell. Aristodemus returned to Sparta, either with an eye inflammation or as a messenger. He was met with disgrace and died heroically the following year at Plataea. Pantites was sent to Thessaly with a message, and on returning to Sparta, hanged himself in disgrace. (7. 229 -7. 232)
Epilogue • What did Xerxes do to Leonidas after the battle, and what was this act a sign of? • Xerxes found Leonidas body, ordered his head cut off, and had it put opn a stake. This was evidence of Xerxes’ great anger towards Leonidas. (7. 238) • [After the battle of Thermopylae, the Greeks set up monuments to their heroes. The Spartans set up a statue of a lion. “Leonidas” and “lion” are etymologically related; remember the “lion-hearted” bravery of Leonidas. (7. 225)] • Herodotus tells us that Demaratus had sent a secret message to warn Sparta before Xerxes invaded. How was the message sent and who deciphered the message? • The wax was scraped off a pair of wooden folding tablets and the message written on the wood before recovering the tablets with wax so they appeared to be blank. Gorgo, Leonidas’ wife, divined how the message was hidden. (7. 239)
Books 8 and 9: Artemisium, Salamis, and Plataea • As the battle at Thermopylae was happening, the Persians engaged the Athenians at Artemisium. What type of battle was this (land or sea) and who won this minor battle? o The battle of Artemisium was a sea battle which the Greeks won. (8. 10 -8. 18) • What tactic did the outnumbered Greek squadron of ships adopt in the first engagement to prevent the Persians from ramming them? o They formed their ships in a circle facing outward so they couldn’t be rammed. (8. 11) • How were the battles at Artemisium and at Thermopylae similar, tactically? In both cases, what Persian advantage became a disadvantage? o They were both fought in restricted spaces, thus neutralizing the Persian advantage in numbers. The Persian numbers actually got in their way, preventing them from maneuvering. (8. 15)
After Artemisium: Delphi • After the battle at Artemisium, Themistocles left messages for the Ionians encouraging them to change sides, or at least remain neutral. What two possible effects did he really expect to gain from these messages? • First, they might induce the Ionians to come over to the Greeks. • Second, if they were reported to Xerxes and made the ground for an accusation against the Ionians, the Ionians would be mistrusted and not allowed to take part in future sea battles. (8. 22) • What did the residents of Delphi do when the Persians approached Delphi? • Most of the Delphians fled, but 60 men and the priest of the oracle remained. (8. 36) • How did the citizens of Delphi drive away the Persians? • Thunderbolts crashed and rocks fell down from the mountains. Persians fled, with the remaining Delphians chasing them. In addition, two larger-than-life hoplites were seen chasing the Persians. (8. 38 -8. 39)
After Artemisium: Athens • What polis provided half the ships in the Greek fleet at Salamis? • Athens provided 180 ships, half the fleet, and the fastest ships. (8. 43 -8. 44) • After evacuating Athens, the Greek fleet sailed to Salamis. There a war council convened. What was the general feeling of the council? Why? • The general feeling of the council was in favor of sailing to the Isthmus (of Corinth) and fighting in defense of the Peloponnese, on the grounds that if they were beaten at Salamis they would find themselves blocked up in an island, where no help could reach them, whereas it disaster overtook them at the isthmus, they could find refuge amongst their own people. (8. 49) • When the Persians invaded Athens, what did they do to the Acropolis? • The Persians burned the Acropolis, killed those hiding there, and plundered it. (8. 53)
Themistocles presents two options at the second war council • “It is now in your power to save Greece, if you take my advice…. ” He says. • If you fight at the Isthmus, “it will have to be in the open sea, and that will be greatly to our disadvantage, with our smaller numbers and slower ships. Moreover, even if everything else goes well, you will lose Salamis, Megara, and Aegina. ” If the enemy fleet comes south, the army will follow it, and you will have been responsible for drawing it to the Peloponnese, putting the whole of Greece in peril. • For his plan, the advantages are 1 st, fighting in narrow waters where they can with inferior numbers; 2 nd, it preserves Salamis, where they put their women and children; and 3 rd, they will be fighting in defense of the Peloponnese by remaining north of it. If they win at sea, the Persian army will not advance further, but will retreat. Finally, the oracle foretold our victory. (8. 60)
Salamis or the Isthmus?
Artemisia advises Xerxes • She alone councils against fighting at sea by Salamis. • The Greeks are as far superior to your men in naval matters as men are to women. You have already taken Athens, so you don’t need to fight at sea. Keep the fleet on the coast, ready to react. The Greeks will not be able to hold out much longer, and will soon disperse. If you rush into a naval battle, a defeat of the fleet may involve the army too. “Good masters, remember, usually have bad servants, and bad masters good ones. ” Don’t trust your allies. • Xerxes was pleased with her response, but he followed the advice of the majority, because he believed his men had shirked their duty in the battles off Euboea (Artemesium) because he was not himself present, whereas this time he would watch the fight. (8. 68 -8. 69)
Themistocles unites the quarreling Greeks • Themistocles secretly sent a servant to the Persians to give them a false message stating that the Greeks were planning to secretly flee Salamis. • The ruse worked: the Persians believed him and closed in on the Greeks. • The Greeks, with nowhere to flee, decided to fight together at Salamis. (8. 75 -8. 76)
Battle of Salamis • How did the size of the Persian fleet actually serve as a disadvantage in the battle at Salamis? • The Persian fleet was too big for the narrow area, and the Greeks actually had the advantage: their ships, being fewer, could maneuver better. In addition, the Persian fleet quickly lost formation. The Persians lost far more ships than the Greeks. (8. 84 -6) • During the battle of Salamis, Xerxes comments: “My men have turned into women, my women into men. ” What event prompts Xerxes to say this? • After the Persians had lost all order, Artemisia was chased by an Athenian trireme. Escape was impossible, so she rammed one of her friends and sank that ship. The Athenian chasing her naturally supposed that her ship was Greek, or else a deserter which was fighting on the Greek side, so he abandoned the chase. Xerxes saw the event and supposed that she had sunk a Greek ship. She was doubly lucky. (8. 87 -8. 88) • In what year did the battle at Salamis take place? Who won? • The battle took place in 480 BC, and the Greeks won (8. 91 -8. 96; p. 621)
Battle of Salamis
Trifles and Aftermath • Who invented the courier system? • The Persians invented the courier system, daily exchanging riders and horses. (8. 98) • Who offered to take command of the Persian force after Salamis, thus letting Xerxes return home with a greater part of the force? • Mardonius offered to take command, since he expected to be punished for having persuaded the king to undertake the mission. (8. 100) • What advice does Artemisia give Xerxes this time? Does Xerxes accept her advice? • Artemisia advised to leave Mardonius as he requested. If Mardonius succeeds, the king gets the credit. If Mardonius fails, it will not matter as long as the king survives. Mardonius is only the king’s slave. Xerxes was inclined to leave Greece anyway and ready accepted her advice. (8. 102 -8. 103)
The Greek fleet pursues the Persians • The Greek fleet pursued the Persians as far as Andros, where they held a conference. Themistocles urged them to continue to the Hellespont and destroy the Persian bridges. Why did Eurybiades oppose this plan? • Eurybiades objected on the ground that to destroy the bridges would cut off Xerxes from home and force him to remain and fight in Greece. Better to let him escape and then carry the war to Asia. (8. 108) • Themistocles sent Xerxes another secret message after the battle at Salamis. What did it say? Why did he do this? • The message said the Themistocles would not pursue Xerxes and would not destroy the Hellespont bridge. His plan was to lay a foundation for a future relationship with Xerxes, in case he should need to flee Athens someday. (8. 110)
Athens, in victory, can be despotic also • When Themistocles demanded tribute money from the Andrians (people of Andros) they refused. According to Themistocles, what two powerful deities did the Athenians have on their side? What two useless deities did the Andrians say they had that refused to leave their island? • Themistocles said the Athenians had the support of Persuasion and Compulsion. • The Andrians replied that they were stuck with Poverty and Inability. (8. 111)
Xerxes’ Retreat • How did Xerxes’ army fare during the retreat from Greece? Did they return to Asia unharmed? • The army suffered from plague, dysentery and famine. Forced to live off the land, many died, and the sick were left behind in various places. (8. 115) • During Xerxes’ re-crossing of the Hellespont, his ship was caught in bad weather. What did Xerxes request that his men do for their king? • Xerxes said that he was putting his safety in their hands; this was essentially a request for the men to jump overboard, in order to lighten the ship and bring Xerxes to safety. (8. 118) • Did his men carry out his request? • Yes, the men jumped overboard. (8. 118)
Alexander of Macedon • Alexander of Macedon, ancestor of Alexander the Great, reappears in Book Eight. When he was sent by Mardonius as an ambassador to the Athenians, what did he privately council them to do? • He recommended that they accept Persia’s peace offering and join the Persians in friendship. (8. 140) • Did the Athenians decide to follow Alexander’s recommendation? Why? • No; they told him that their love of freedom was so great they would do anything to preserve that freedom. They refused to enter into alliance with Persia. (8. 143) • [Review the Spartan and Athenian speeches at 8. 142 -8. 144. The Spartans praise Athens while laying responsibility for the war on them. Note the ‘nobility’ of the Athenian response, particularly given that Herodotus wrote during the Peloponnesian war while Athens ruled a Greek empire. Athens refers to “the Greek nation – the community of blood and language, temples and ritual, and our common customs. ”]
Battle of Plataea • In the beginning of Book Nine, what deserted city did Mardonius recapture? • Mardonius recaptured Athens. (9. 3) • Who commanded the Spartan troops which came to the aid of Athens and the other Greeks? • Pausanius commanded the Spartan troops. (9. 10) • Who had the advantage in numbers at Plataea, the Persians or the Greeks? • The Persians had the advantage of numbers at Plataea, 300, 000 to 110, 000. (9. 28 -9. 32) • When sacrifices were offered before battle, what did the omens for both sides say about attacking? • The omens were unfavorable if either side attacks, but better if they were to act defensively. (9. 36 -9. 37) • As a consequence of the omens’ predictions, for how long did both sides face each other without attacking? • They faced each other for ten days. (9. 41)
Battle of Plataea outcome • Alexander of Macedon once again assisted the Greeks, this time at Plataea. What secret message did he give them? • He told them that the Persians were going to attack at dawn. (9. 45) • The Spartans withdrew, and the Persians pursued them. When the enemy cavalry attacked the Spartans, thinking that the Spartans were fighting alone, who came to the assistance of the Spartans? • The Athenians came to the aid of the Spartans. (9. 60 -9. 61) [The Spartans often feigned retreat as a tactic. Herodotus has a pro-Athenian bias. ] • Upon whose death did the Persians finally retreat, defeated? • When Mardonius died the Persian troops fled. (9. 63) [discuss battle; note losses at 9. 70 and the valor of Aristodemus, the survivor from Thermopylae (9. 71). ]
Battle of Plataea Aftermath • How did Pausanias think the Greeks should treat the body of the man in the previous question? • Unlike Xerxes, Pausanias refused to disfigure or disgrace the body of his slain enemy. He said that such behavior is “repulsive. ” (9. 79) • When Xerxes retreated from Greece, he left his tent behind. What did Pausanias do in it? • He had a feast prepared by Persian and Spartan cooks, to contrast them. (9. 82) • What is the significance of Pausanias’ words on this occasion: “Men of Greece, I ask you here in order to show you the folly of the Persians, who, living in this style, come to Greece to rob us of our poverty. ” • The Persians feasted, and lived, in great luxury. This was alien to the Greeks, especially to the Spartans. For the Persians to invade Greece was a folly to Pausanias – the Persians mistakenly thinking Greece was wealthy, left behind a culture of lavishness, and they paid dearly for their greed. (9. 82) • [ Note three Spartan graves for homoioi, perioikoi, and helots, 9. 85 and footnote 38. ]
Herodotus’ history ends with three episodes of great thematic importance: Xerxes passion; the crimes of the Persian governor Artaÿctes; and Cyrus’ advice to the Persians. • What was Cyrus’ warning to the Persians when they proposed to him that they move to a better land after conquering the Medes? What did this warning mean? • Cyrus warned that if they conquered a ‘better’ land, ‘they must prepare themselves to rule no longer, but to be ruled by others. ’ • Cyrus said: “Soft countries breed soft men. It is not the property of any one soil to produce fine fruits and good soldiers too. ” • This encompasses themes of poverty and wealth, and freedom and despotism. The basic point is that freedom demands vigor. Human institutions, culture and the geographical environment shape national character. (9. 122 and footnote 53)
Question 20 • Who (Herodotus is not a satisfactory answer) said, “Soft countries breed soft men. It is not the property of any one soil to produce fine fruits and good soldiers too. ”
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