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

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τούτου δὲ τοιούτου γινομένου, ‘such coming to be the state of the case,’ ‘things getting to this pass’ (cp. 5. 109)—a somewhat vague phrase, repeated below in more positive or substantial form, τούτων τοιούτων ἐόντων, but explained as referring to the two serious incommodities, (1) the ruin of the watersupply, (2) the harassing fire from the cavalry. Nor was this all! (3) The army was without rations, and (4) completely cut off from its base: (3) and (4) were vexing them all the more (μᾶλλον σφέας ἐλύπεε) owing to the sudden development of (1) and (2)! The admissions made in this chapter are notable; but the logical and chronological sequences are not acceptable.

οἱ τῶν Ἑλλήνων στρατηγοί: other than Pausanias (and Euryanax), who no doubt summoned them to the Council of War, which is held on the right wing. The position of the Greek force is highly precarious. The question before the Council must have been whether to advance and cross the Asopos, or to retreat. The third alternative, remaining where they are, is impossible.

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οὔτε γὰρ σιτία εἶχον ἔτι. This had been probably one of the chief reasons for their advance to the position on the Asopos Ridge, in which they were offering battle to the Persian, if only he would come across the Asopos with his infantry. Mardonios had perhaps turned them out of their position at Hysiai by seizing and occupying Dryoskephalai, and forced them to come down to the Asopos and offer battle; he is still, no doubt, even hoping to draw or drive them across the Asopos. Hdt., who keeps the Greeks twelve days on the Asopos Ridge, for eleven of which they are absolutely unmolested and allowed to water freely from Gargaphia, now at last admits that battle or retreat is a necessity, owing to the complete breakdown of the commissariat; that breakdown being due to the complete command attained by the Persian cavalry of the main route to the rear of the Greek forces. The difficult Plataia-Megara pass remains indeed open; and it is just upon that they resolve to fall back, for even that pass was no use to them in their present position.

οἵ τε <*>φέων ὀπέωνες ἀποπεμφθέντες ἐς Πελοπόννησον: the ὀπέωνες = the ψιλοὶ τῶν εἱλωτέων, περὶ ἄνδρα ἕκαστον ἑπτὰ τεταγμένοι (c. 28 supra) and the ψιλοί, ὡς εἷς περὶ ἕκαστον ἐὼν ἄνδρα (c. 30 supra), whatever their total numbers. The Peloponnesian portion of them has been sent away, to bring up supplies (ὡς ἐπισιτιεύμενοι, cp. 7. 176), to manage the ἐπισίτησις of their masters, and cannot get back, the Greek army being completely isolated in its present position by the Persian cavalry.

This passage goes to show that the only ὀπέωνες, or ψιλοί, in camp, or with the army, at this crisis, would be those in attendance on the Athenians, Megarians, Plataians. The presumption is, however, that the Athenian and Megarian ὀπέωνες were also absent (though the Athenian τοξόται were of course on the spot, cp. c. 60 infra). The army was practically a purely hoplite force at this moment. But, perhaps, we should allow still the regulation attendant on each hoplite.

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ἀπεκεκληίατο, ‘were utterly and had for some time previously been shut off,’ from returning. Ionice pro ἀποκεκλεισμένοι ἦσαν, Schweighaeuser (but cp. Veitch, Gk. Verbs s. v. κλείω). Cp. ἀποκληισθέντες τῆς ὀπίσω ὁδοῦ 3. 55, in a somewhat different connexion.

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ὑπό: cp. c. 37 supra. The Persian cavalry completely dominates the situation. On the night of the 8th (c. 39 supra) they have seized Dryoskephalai, the junction of the Eleutherai-Erythrai and Eleutherai-Hysiai-Plataia roads, in the rear of the Greek position, at Hysiai. The Persians have, of course, maintained their hold on that position. In consequence the Greeks are cut off from their base (except by the difficult PlataiaMegara route), and on the 11th (no doubt) come to the determination to go down to a position ἐπὶ τῷ Ἀσωπῷ, and offer battle to the Persian. This manœuvre is carried out upon the 12th (perhaps not without some loss) and Mardonios moves into position opposite them, with the Asopos still between, c. 47 supra.

Still, neither side will cross the river; but all that day, the 12th, the Greeks are harassed by the cavalry, cut off from the water-supply on all sides, cut off from their bases, not merely via Erythrai and Hysiai, but even via Plataia; the rations they have with them are giving out —battle or retreat becomes an absolute necessity.