Reginald Walter Macan, Herodotus, The Seventh, Eighth, & Ninth Books with Introduction and Commentary

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ὡς ἔμαθε τὸ γεγονὸς πάθος, ‘when he became aware of the extent of the disaster which had taken place.’ τις τῶν: contr. c. 90 supra.

δείσας μὴ ... ἀπολέσθαι: this reported apprehension of Xerxes conveys potentially a criticism upon the Greek conduct of affairs at this crisis. The Greeks failed to utilize their victory to the full. Had the Persian communications with Asia been cut at this date, the king might never have returned alive, a revolt in Asia would certainly have taken place, Thrace and Maeedon might have used their opportunity, the battle of Plataia need never have been fought. It was not the fault of Themistokles that the more daring but, in the long run, the more prudent course was omitted; cp. c. 108 infra.

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ἀπολαμφθείς: c. 11 supra.

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δρησμόν: c. 4 supra.

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ἐς τὴν Σαλαμῖνα χῶμα ἐπειρᾶτο διαχοῦν, ‘he attempted (more than ‘began’) to construct a mole right across to Salamis,’ from the mainland. Hdt. unfortunately does not locate the structure. The time, the place, the nature of the work, and its purpose, are all in debate. The likeliest place would be on the line of the existing ferry, both because that is the shortest line, and also because the island of St. George offers a ready-made pier or point d' appui for the structure, though not on the direct line, which would be less than a mile across. Ktesias, Persica, ed. Gilmore, § 57, p. 157, locates the mole, and dates the attempt before the battle: ὁ δὲ Ξέρξης αὐτόθεν ἐλθὼν ἐπὶ στεινότατον τῆς Ἀττικῆς (Ἡράκλειον καλεῖται) ἐχώννυε χῶμα ἐπὶ Σαλαμῖνα πεζῆ ἐπ᾽ αὐτὴν διαβῆναι διανοούμενος. The attempt is frustrated by Themistokles and Aristeides, who procure archers from Krete; and its failure makes a sea-fight necessary. The place may be right, ‘the narrowest part of Attica’ being taken to mean the narrowest part of the straits between Attica and Salamis; the time, or sequence, appears to be better in Hdt. To construct a mole, or bridge of boats, all across the straits, while the Greeks were in possession, and without a naval battle, was impossible. Moreover, before the naval battle such a work would have been inconsistent with the naval tactics. If it had run (as Stein supposes) from the Herakleion to Kynosura, it would (if completed) have kept the king's fleet out of the straits, and the Greek fleet inside! But even running from the extreme point of Skaramanga to the isle of St. George, or (and) on to the actual shore of Salamis, it could not have been seriously undertaken before a naval victory had cleared the Greek ships out of the bay; and it would have interfered with any design of circumnavigating the island freely. Alexander, indeed, attempted to take Tyre with a mole, while the Tyrians had command of the sea, Arrian 2. 18. But the two cases are not parallel. Tyre was a fortified island of small dimensions, half a mile only off the coast, and not in any way embayed; moreover, Alexander failed, until he had secured command of the sea, to capture the place. (Rawlinson is wrong on this matter of fact.) Thus a serious attempt to bridge the channel to Salamis was absurd and impossible without an antecedent naval victory; after a naval defeat, still more so. It follows that, if any such attempt at all was made, it was a feint, or it was some work completely misunderstood by Hdt.'s sources and himself. Phoenician roundships may have been lashed together, the beginning of a mole or pier may have been started, and this work may have been begun before the naval engagement, in confident anticipation of a victory. After the naval defeat such preparations could have deceived nobody, and must have been abandoned. In regard to the form of the structure itself, the χῶμα may have been intended to serve as a solid pier leading on to the round-ships, which would support some sort of roadway, and could be tugged into position after the Greek fleet had been disabled. It is noticeable that, even according to Hdt., preparations for another naval battle are also on foot; i.e. command of the sea must be regained before the connexion with Salamis could be established, over which the land-forces might pour into the island. Is it not also possible that the projected or attempted structure was rather of the nature of a wharf or jetty or pier, for embarkation and so on, and was never intended to reach the opposite shore?

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εὖ ἠπιστέατο: i.e. merely ‘were fully convinced,’ ‘firmly believed’; cp. c. 88 supra.

ἐκ παντὸς νόου παρεσκεύασται, (that the king) ‘has completely made up his mind’; the verb, though passive in form, has obviously a middle force.

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Μαρδόνιον: cp. e. 68 supra.

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ἐλάνθανε: not merely ‘escaped,’ but ‘deceived’; Mardonios saw through the king's ruse. He had most knowledge of the king's mental ways! διανοίης: cp c. 88 supra.