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Throughout there is a close parallel and connexion between the accounts of the operations on sea and on land and of the forces at Thermopylae and Artemisium. First, we have the description of the double position (vii. 175-7) supplemented by a more detailed topography of Thermopylae (vii. 198-201), secondly the story of the movements of the fleets (vii. 179-95) and a brief account of the march of Xerxes' army (vii. 196-7), finally a narrative of the struggle at Thermopylae (vii. 202-33) and of the contemporary (ch. 15) seafights at Artemisium (viii. 1-23). Yet, as it stands, the opening of Book VIII is abrupt and not connected with the end of Book VII. Probably the connexion and implied contrast between the land and sea forces has been obscured by the later insertion of ch. 234-9 (Macan).

The summary of the Greek forces here given is parallel to that prefixed to the fighting at Thermopylae (vii. 202). Similar lists are given of the Greek fleets before Lade (vi. 8 n.) and before Salamis (viii. 43 f.), and of the Greek army before Plataea (ix. 28). But whereas at Plataea H. follows the line of battle from right to left (as at Lade from east to west), and at Salamis adopts a geographical order (Peloponnese, northern Greece, islands, &c.), here he arranges the states according to the number of ships furnished (ch. 2. 1), thus incidentally justifying the claim of Athens to command at sea (ch. 3).


νέας. Triremes, line-of-battle ships, excluding not only transports (vii. 97) but even penteconters, which are not included in the total by H. (viii. 2. 1, 48), though Diodorus (xi. 12) carelessly speaks of 280 triremes.

For the Plataeans cf. vi. 108.

For the Athenian cleruchs in Chalcis cf. v. 77. 2 n.


Λακεδαιμόνιοι. The whole nation including the Perioeci (ch. 43; vii. 234. 2; ix. 70. 5). Spartiates, if they served at sea at all, would be Epibatae.

For Styra cf. vi. 107. 2, and for the Locri Opuntii vii. 203. 1 n.

Ceos is an island about twelve miles from Cape Sunium, over twelve miles long by eight broad.

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