Battle of salamis simple english wikipedia, the free. Book 1 clio book 2 euterpe book 3 thalia book 4 melpomene book 5 terpsichore book 6 erato book 7 polymnia book 8 urania book 9 calliope. Thanks to their efforts, the greek fleet swells to almost 400 ships. After some careful source work, detecting bias, exaggeration and other historiographical questions, they were asked to write a written account of the battle. The history of herodotus, parallel englishgreek index. Mar 20, 2014 the main battle was planned to take place in salamis toward the end of september. His land forces marched down the northern coasts of the aegean sea and down into greece by way of thessaly. In herodotus and the philosophy of empire, ann ward treats the classical writer not as a historian but as a political philosopher. In that battle antidorus of lemnos, the only one of the greeks siding with the persian, deserted to the greeks, and for that the athenians gave him land in salamis.
The epic clash at thermopylae has already been covered in campaign 188, so this volume adds in the equally important naval dimension of the grecopersian war. Battle of salamis the great battles of history ars bellica. If thermopylae, the inspiring defeat, is the betterknown battle, salamis was an actual victory, won through superior greek tactics, in a venue where greeks feel particularly at home. King xerxes lay encamped in trachis in malis and the hellenes in the pass. His land forces marched down the northern coasts of the aegean sea and. The persians understood that the greek navy was the real enemy. Jun 29, 2004 an overview of the battle of salamis with appropriate framing ionian revolt to artemisiumthermopylae through the persian retreat. In this battle only one of the greeks who fought on the side of the king deserted and.
The following description of the battle of marathon is from the history of herodotus, trans. Although the phoenician sailors in the persian armada were excellent naval fighters, probably the rest of the crews were inferior. Ward uses close textual analysis to demonstrate that herodotus investigates recurring themes in the most important forms of. Naumachia tes salaminos was a naval battle fought between an alliance of greek citystates under themistocles, and the persian empire under king xerxes in 480 bc. Athens put aside its pride and let sparta lead the army and the fleet, even though themistokles practically usurped the fleet commanders role. The battle of salamis was a naval battle fought between an alliance of greek city states under. According to herodotus, the athenians insist that their compatriots must send their fleets to salamis, a small island just opposite the athenian harbors.
Herodotus portrays the conflict as one between the forces of slavery the persians on the one hand, and freedom. Battle of salamis project gutenberg selfpublishing. Aegina set aside its longstanding feud with athens and proved to be one of the stars during the battle at salamis. With the dawn of the day of the battle of salamis in ch. It is extremely difficult to date the events of the summer of 480, but all reconstructions by modern scholars assume that the games ended shortly before or most probably during the two battles on august 20 or september 18. Jan 21, 2020 the battle of salamis was fought in september 480 bc during the persian wars 499 to 449 bc. Herodotus s history is an account of the grecopersian wars 499479 bce and the story of the growth and organization of the persian empire. This place is called thermopylae by most of the hellenes, but by the natives and their neighbors pylae.
Some subsequent ancient historians, despite following in his footsteps, criticised herodotus, starting with thucydides. Written in 440 bc in the ionic dialect of classical greek, the histories serves as a record of the ancient traditions, politics, geography, and clashes of various cultures that were known in western asia, northern. Urania,87when the affairs of the king had come to great confusion, at this. Our chief sources of knowledlge concerning the battle of salamis are aeschylus, persians, 345 ff. The speakers mostly advised that the fleet should sail away to the isthmus, and there give battle in defence of the peloponnese. Part of a complete english translation of herodotus. Ward uses close textual analysis to demonstrate that herodotus investigates recurring themes in the most important forms of government in the ancient world. Indepth analysis, coupled with florid storytelling based partly on new archeological evidence would be a great addition to the bookshelves of anyone interested in ancient history. Attacks on phocis, boeotia, delphi, plataea, athens. View this articles jstor metadata you may also retrieve all of this items.
In the histories, he describes the expansion of the achaemenid empire under its kings cyrus the great, cambyses, and darius i the great, culminating in xerxes expedition to greece 480 bce. The battle of salamis the battle of salamis was a naval battle that happened in 480 b. There the greeks, sparked by fear and indecisiveness, conduct successive discussions about. On herodotuss and aeschyluss accounts of the battle of. Read this article to learn about the herodotus account of the battle of marathon. Histories 8 by herodotus meet your next favorite book. She is mostly known through the writings of herodotus, himself a native of. Herodotus describes the contingents and their numbers. He tells the story of the persian invasion of greece in 490 bc and the decisive naval battle at salamis with an easy style focused on character development. Xerxes, who came to the throne in 485, executed another invasion of greece on an enormous scale by both land and sea.
It was won by the greeks whom were much better at sea battle than the persians who were used to fighting on land. At some point while building the wall, he considered giving chase to the persian army. Artemesia tries to persuade xerxes to wait for greek surrender as battle in straights would be deadly to large persian ships. On one level, the cooperation herodotus seems to pine for did happen. Greek researcher, often called the worlds first historian. The battle was fought in the straits between the mainland and salamis, an island in the saronic gulf near athens, and marked the highpoint of the second persian invasion of greece. Every persian officer, apart from artemesia, wanted to fight at salamis.
Dec 05, 2015 the battle of thermopylae was the initial engagement between the persian empire and the confederation of greek citystates led by sparta during the second persian invasion of greece in 480 bc. The book also illuminates greek views of themselves and of. Suffice it to say that as soon as the news of leonidass death reached the peloponnesians, their armies, commanded by cleombrotus, leonidass brother, marched immediately to the isthmus and. Herodotus and the dating of the battle of thermopylae. Herodotus, the battle of salamis the date of the battle of salamis is set by modern writers at about the 20th of september, 480 b. This expedition against athens threatened all of greece. Salamis according to herodotus page 2 waterblogged. He well uses both modern and ancient sources to tell the story not just of the battle of thermopylae, but also of the whole war in which it took place. The book also illuminates greek views of themselves and of peoples from the east, the 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. 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 selfimage of europe. Artemisia i of caria was a queen of the ancient greek citystate of halicarnassus and of the. Herodotus and the philosophy of empire ann ward download.
Divided by later editors into nine books named after the muses, the history traces the growth of the persian empire, starting with croesus of lydia, though cyrus and xerxes. His answers to them are extensive, but they do not preserve every last detail of the battle of salamis. The next logos opens with a description of a serious quarrel between the greek admirals. It marked the highpoint of the second persian invasion of greece, which had begun that spring. The book also illuminates greek views of themselves and of peoples from the east, the problematic. So information that appears in another source can be considered even when herodotus does not mention it.
Probably about the time of that battle, cleombrotus was at the isthmus, constructing the defences there hdt. Thales predicts the solar eclipse of may 28, 585 b. The battle of salamis can be dated with a high degree of certainty. Ten years after the defeat of the persians at marathon in 490 b. Salamis a battle that defined history for centuries to come. Opponents temistocle 530 bc 461 bc themistocles was born in athens between 520 and 530 bc, from a noble family. Strauss draws heavily upon herodotus and aeschylus. The account of the battle of marathon mainly based on herodotus has however many gaps in the way that it does not give the strength of the two armies nor does it explain the reason why the persian cavalry did not join in the engagement. The greek strategy at the battle of salamis 480 bce ancient.
Edwin longs 1875 interpretation of the babylonian marriage market as described by herodotus in book 1 of the histories the battle of halys. Iscriviti a prime ciao, accedi account e liste accedi account e liste resi e ordini iscriviti a prime carrello. The internet classics archive the history of herodotus by. Thoughts on book eight of the histories of herodotus. The histories also stands as one of the earliest accounts of the rise of the persian empire, as well as the events and causes of the grecopersian wars between the achaemenid empire and the greek citystates in the 5th century bc. The pivotal event of the history is the battle of marathon 490 bce, where the persians were defeated by the greeks. Herodotus the histories, book 7, polymnia 8239 battle of thermopylae. Herodotus is mistaken about the date of the olympic games.
The battle for the west is one of those greatly accessible, pleasantly reading, and yet academically meaty history books. Herodotus presents the battle as though it occurred directly after the capture of athens, but nowhere explicitly states as much. Feb 08, 2017 salamis an island in the saronic gulf in the aegean sea, opposite mount aigaleo, 16 kilometres west of athens. Battle of salamis, 480 bc, battle in the grecopersian wars in which a greek fleet defeated much larger persian naval forces in the straits at salamis, between the island of salamis and the athenian portcity of piraeus. Victory at salamis more persian shipwrecks off euboea. Sea fights near artemisium concurrent with thermopylae 480 themistocles appeals to the ionians and carians fighting for persians 564 persians pillage phocis, boeotia medizes 568.
Sources for the battle of salamis 480 bc stories preschool. Histories book 8 the battle of salamis summary course hero. Herodotus book also contains ethnographic descriptions of the peoples that. Sihler, on herodotus s and aeschyluss accounts of the battle of salamis, transactions of the american philological association 8 1877. View more articles from transactions of the american philological association 18691896. The battle of salamis goodreads meet your next favorite book. Barry strauss is a worldclass academic classicist, but the battle of salamis. The battle of salamis, by barry strauss indepthinfo. The lines were drawn up, and the sacrifices were favorable. The quarrel over succession by two of darius sons, artabazanes and xerxes 2. Learning this, they therefore entreated the fleet to put in at salamis. It happened in september 480 bc in the straits between the mainland and salamis island. The histories also known as the history of herodotus is considered the founding work of history in western literature. Translated from tales from herodotus farnell and goff provide a synopsis of the events to this point.
Herodotus excerpts from book vii of the histories translated. Before the battle of salamis, xerxes gathered all his naval commanders and sent. The athenians try to convince the other greeks to marshal their naval strength at salamis. Battle of salamis was one of the final battles in the second war between the persian empire led by king xerxes and an alliance of greek citystates. Herodotus and the persian wars utah state university. In the year 492493 he was elected archon for the democratic partys, expression of maritime business groups worried by the persian repression of the ionian revolt, and immediately transformed the military port of piraeus in athens, despite the opposition of landowners, that were. It resulted in a decisive victory for the outnumbered greeks. Salamis 480 bc is another osprey take on an ancient classic, in this case herodotus. Dec 23, 2015 the battle of salamis was the major turning point in the second persian invasion of greece. Though herodotus does give some figures pertaining to the number of persian ships and sailors, these do seem far fetched. Herodotus and the persian wars the second persian war 481479 bce the battle of salamis 480 bce in the narrows between the island of salamis and the mainland persian battle cruisers cannot maneuver but smaller triremes can xerxes panics and flees back to persepolis leaves his general mardonius to finish off the greeks.
Although the persian host had suffered setbacks, delays and even minor reversals at thermopylae and. Herodotus here holds up the story of the battle of salamis for a bit to describe the defences of the isthmus of corinth, the details of which we will reluctantly pass by 6. The battle of salamis the histories of herodotus excerpt. The battle of thermopylae the histories of herodotus excerpt. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. This battle forms the centrepiece of book viii of herodotus histories. To reach this goal, they sent the two hundred warships around euboea.
By 480 the persian king xerxes and his army had overrun much of greece, and his navy of about 800 galleys bottled up the. In the narrow strait between the island of salamis and the greek mainland, a heavily outnumbered greek navy defeated the persian armada in a brilliant victory that is still studied today. Herodotus excerpts from book vii of the histories translated and edited by a. Salamis according to herodotus salamis an island in the saronic gulf in the aegean sea, opposite mount aigaleo, 16 kilometres west of athens. Herodotus the histories, book 8, urania 4096 naval battle off salamis. Tarn, the fleet of xerxes, the journal of hellenic studies 28 1908. As the persians moved their forces to fight the greeks at artemisium it was the strategy of the greeks which ensured their victory. On herodotuss and aeschyluss accounts of the battle of salamis. Polymnia now when tidings of the battle that had been fought at marathon reached the ears of king darius, the son of hystaspes, his anger against the athenians, which had been already roused by their attack upon sardis, waxed still fiercer, and he became more than ever eager to lead an army against greece. Therefore, the decree of troezen is not only compatible with several elements of herodotus narration but also helps to interpret the histories in a more realistic and plausible way. The battle of salamis as part of their assessable work, my senior students were asked to look at herodotus, plutarch and aeschylus accounts of the battle of salamis.
An unfortunate result of his more elaborately worked writing has been failure to understand his words, and hence much misplaced editorial intervention. Some submitted to persia thinking they wouldnt get hurt. Written from the 450s to the 420s bc in the ionic dialect of classical greek, they serve as a record of the ancient traditions, politics, geography, and clashes of various cultures that were known around the. This was especially vital since the greeks were hopelessly outnumbered. Herodotos is designed to help students in all difficulties connected with the greek language which the chapters contain. While they all knew it was coming, they didnt see it in the same way. Herodotus covers the empires geography, social structure, and history before describing the events which led to xerxes invasion of greece and the greek citystates uniting to defeat his army. The battle of salamis was a naval battle between an alliance of greek citystates and the achaemenid empire of persia. In spite of the groundbreaking work of herodotus, a new book, focusing on the battle of salamis, is certainly in order. Herodotus, the histories, book 1, chapter 1, section 0. On herodotus s and aeschyluss accounts of the battle of salamis is an article from transactions of the american philological association 18691896, volume 8 view more articles from transactions of the american philological association 18691896. The battle of salamis 77 munro, of oxford, who refers to my article and agrees with its general conclusions, while he rejects the opposing view as he deems it of herodotus.
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