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ὁ δὲ ναυτικὸς ὁ Ξέρξεω: the narrative shifts to the Persian navy, cp. c. 117 supra. στρατός is omitted, cp. next c. 1. 3. The article is repeated as in 7. 196, and often; contr. 7. 124 etc.
ἐχειμέριζε ἐν Κύμῃ. On Kyme cp. 7. 194 supra. The position was well chosen, in relation to Sardes, to the northern portion of Ionia and Aiolis, and to the Hellespont. It appears, however, immediately that some of the vessels had wintered at Samos: had these not been to the Hellespont, after Salamis? It is remarkable that Samos, not Kyme, is the rendezvous in the spring. χειμερίζειν, cp. c. 113 supra. ἐπιλάμψαντος = ἀρχομένου, a metaphor from the day transferred to the year (Sitzler). πρώιος keeps up the metaphor (Stein). αὐτοῦ, the adv. of place, ‘on the spot.’
Περσέων δὲ καὶ Μήδων οἱ πλεῦνες ἐπεβάτευον. The literal meaning of these words is: ‘Of Persians and Medes the majority were Epibatai.’ Not absolutely, of course, but in relation to the Strategoi. This appears to give a very poor antithesis. ‘Of Persians and Medes, serving on the fleet, very few were other than Epibatai’ But perhaps Hdt. meant to say that on the fleet the majority of Epibatai were Medes and Persians: ‘the majority of those serving as Epibatai were of Persians and Medes, οἱ πλεῦνες being the predicate: the genitive remains problematic. He can hardly mean that the majority of the Medo-Persian Epibatai originally mentioned (7. 96) were still serving on board: the allusion would be far-fetched. In any case the expression is wanting in style and Iucidity.
στρατηγοὶ δέ. There are three new admirals, or commanders, for a fleet of 300; but it appears afterwards that one of the three (Mardontes) is in command of the Epibatai, and the other two in eommand of the fleet; cp. 9. 102. Μαρδόντης τε ὁ Βαγαίου has appeared already as ἄρχων τῶν νησιωτέων τῶν ἐκ τῆς Ἐρυθρῆς θαλάσσης 7. 80 supra. He might know something of sea-faring, but, as a matter of fact, commands the men-at-arms; cp. previous note.
Ἀρταὔντης ὁ Ἀρταχαίεω: the Artachaies, no doubt, who was an Achaimenid giant, with a colossal voice, and had been one of the Commandants of the Canal (cp. 7. 22, 117). One Otaspes, brother of Artayntes, had apparently been ἄρχων of the Assyrians, 7. 63 supra.
Ἰθαμίτρης was presumably son of the Otaspes just referred to. The ἄρχων of the Πάκτυες, however, was one Ἀρταΰντης ὁ Ἰθαμίτρεω, 7. 67 supra. μεγάλως πληγέντες: at Salamis; the expression need not be restricted to the Strategoi. ἀνωτέρω τὸ πρὸς ἑσπέρης seems to be used as an ‘orientation’ simply from the point of view of the narrative, o<*> dramatis personae, and can hardly be cited as proof that Hdt. composed this part of his narrative in Asia.
ἐν τῇ Σάμῳ κατήμενοι ἐφύλασσον. Samos was probably the best basis of naval operations against an Ionia in revolt, as the Athenians discover in 412 B.C. But the Persians in 479 B.C. are in full possession of the Hinterland as well, and the prospect of a merely local revolt might well look almost hopeless.
οὐ μὲν οὐδέ, ‘yet also not,’ a double negative, the elements of which, simple and composite, do not cancel but confirm each other (Madvig § 209). The opinion here predicated of the Persians proved ill-founded, a strategic miscalculation; if entertained, it was based perhaps more on the presence of Mardonios in Greece than upon the non pursuit of the previous year; but the conjecture put forward by Hdt. constitutes a justification of the project of Themistokles (c. 108 supra), and condemns pro tanto the failure of the Greeks to follow up their victory. The Persian reflexion takes no account of the pursuit as far as Andros.
σταθμεὐμενοι: the form σταθμώμενος occurs 7. 237 supra; σταθμεόμενοι is found 2. 150. Are we to conclude that Hdt. used three different forms of one participle? Or that the MSS. variants are responsible for the discrepancies? σταθμάομαι, σταθμέομαι, σταθμώομαι are all possible Ionica (cp. L. & S. sub vv., and Weir Smyth § 688, p. 570).
ἀπαλλάσσοντο: middle (even the active is used intransitively).
ἑσσωμένοι ἦσαν: the imperfect final verb here is as important as the perfect participle for describing then condition, and the combination, so far from resulting in a plusquam perfectum, as a thing of the past, denotes an enduring state of things, or rather of feelings: no doubt in this case τῷ θυμῷ helps materially to establish the true aspect of the verb. They had no stomach for fighting at sea: at the same time they are described as planning at Samos how they may injure the enemy —a fruitless quest, if they were not prepared to move at sea. The hopes and attention concentrated on Mardonios suggest that the fleet was to be prepared to act, at least on the receipt of good news, and possibly upon the receipt of bad news. Though now far apart, the fortunes and acts of fleet and of army could not be matters of indifference, even strategically, one to the other. Hdt.'s motivations are seldom quite adequate or satisfactory; but in regard to the movements, and even the mind of the naval forces on the Persian side, he probably had access to Ionian sources, both narrative and critical, worth something. Cp. Introduction, § 10.
ὠτακούστεον ὅκῃ πεσέεται: cp. καραδοκέοντες ... τῇ πεσέεται 7. 168 supra. The substantive ὠτακουστής occurs in Aristot. Pol. 8. 11. 7 = 133 B of spies, ‘eavesdroppers,’ employed by Hieron: the verb is used by Xenophon and others.
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