The Greek fleet is surrounded by the enemy ships. This is not because the Persians have beaten them, but because of the defeat at Thermopylae. Two Persian captains who distinguished themselves (85). Retrieved December 23, 2020, from https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Histories/. So, when the Upset by the results of Thermopylae, the Greek fleet wants to retreat; but Themistocles is bribed by the Euboeans to make them stay (4). Alexander's family tree (139). Themistocles argues for the strategic advantages of fighting in the narrow waters near Salamis (60). How the gods attacked the Persian troops, and (with the help of the Delphians) drove them off (37-39). The Persians sack the temples of many cities, but the gods so favor Delphi that they send a landslide and thunderstorm to shoo the Persian armies away. 23 Dec. 2020. Mardonius sends Alexander of Macedon to negotiate with Athens (136). 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), which met with disaster in the naval engagement at Salamis and the battles at Plataea and Mycale. Although the Greeks have lost at Thermopylae, their real strength rests in their fleet. Accessed December 23, 2020. https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Histories/. How some Phoenician captains, whose ships were accidentally sunk by their own side, tried to blame the Ionians, and were themselves executed when a Samothracian ship proved the loyalty of the Ionians to Xerxes (90). Ethnographic notes on the Peloponnesians (73). Catalogue of Greek naval forces at Salamis (43-48). 1. The Spartans must have command of the fleet even though Eurybiades seems an inferior commander to Themistocles. Heroism of the Chians in a losing cause; they brought 100 ships with 40 epibatai on each (15). Night falls, and with it another violent storm (12). The story of the the Thracian king who blinded his sons for serving with Xerxes (116). An earthquake, and prayers (64). Themistocles urges him to tell the allied commanders himself (80). The island of Andros refuses to contribute money for the Greek cause, and is besieged by the allies, led by Athens (111). Themistocles allegedly has an ulterior motive, namely the future good will of Xerxes, should he need it. The Greeks at Salamis learn that Xerxes is in Athens; Thespia and Plataea are destroyed. Dispensator Humanitatum 1,101 views 11:26 Ancient Rome in … It was home to a prophetic oracle famous for predicting the future. To read The History (Herodotus' only book) is to seek one's roots as a member of Western democratic civilization. In its first logos, we witness the naval engagement on the sea between Aphetae and Artemisium. Speech of the Spartan envoys, urging the Athenians not to make a separate peace with Mardonius and Xerxes (142). (17 mb, .pdf -- rev. Course Hero, Inc. Others who distinguished themselves in the battle (93). Xerxes' difficulty in taking the Acropolis (52). I wish historians nowadays would be as honest as Herodotus was in his time. The two-pronged defense planned by the Greeks anticipated a victory at Thermopylae. Xerxes plans to return to Persia; his ruse to make it appear that he intends to stay (97). Xerxes tries to hide the massive casualties suffered at Thermopylae, but they are so numerous that Herodotus considers the attempt laughable. When a messenger arrives to inform the Greeks of the defeat at Thermopylae, the Greek navy retreats from Artemisium. How Themistocles put down a detractor back in Athens (125). The Greeks have to retreat from Artemisium. Copyright © 2016. A defense of the veracity of oracles (77). . The Greek fleet is reinforced from reserves at Troezen (42). In Course Hero. The book also illuminates Greek views of themselves and of peoples from the East, the prob 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 self-image of Europe. The Corinthians furiously debate Themistocles, calling him "a man without a country", but Themistocles hold his ground (61). Pity felt by the Ionian Greeks under Xerxes for the encircled Greek fleet (10). The man tells Xerxes that he is a defector, that the Greeks are in disarray and about to retreat, and that a swift Persian attack would be sure of success (75). Persian troops land on Psyttaleia to kill any shipwrecked Greeks who might swim ashore, and the Persian fleet is positioned to block the egress from the bay (76). By staging Proteus as king of Egypt in the Histories Herodotus breaks with the mythological tradition of Proteus as an immortal seer and sea-god. Herodotus Book 1 Commentary 2nd ed. After an indecisive naval engagement at Artemisium, the Persians proceed through Boeotia and devastate the Attic countryside, burning the Athenian acropolis. "Histories Study Guide." In the next couple of days, more clashes ensue, with the final engagement the most even. The Greek commander was the admiral of the small Spartan squadron, a man named Eurybiades. Xerxes arranges the corpses from Thermopylae to appear as if the contest had been even, then displays them to his own troops. "Histories Study Guide." A deserter from the Persian fleet provides the Greeks with vital intelligence, and the Greeks decide to fight. An embassy is sent by the Thessalians to the Phocians; how the Phocians had hurt the Thessalians in their border war before the Persian invasion (27-28). [7.8] After Egypt was subdued, Xerxes, being about to take in hand the expedition against Athens, called together an assembly of the noblest Persians to learn their opinions, and to lay before them his own designs. Eurybiades is convinced; the council decides to fight at Salamis (63). His account is confirmed by the crew of a ship from the island of Tenos; for this the Tenians were later inscribed on the Delphic victory tripod (82). 7 Feb. 2019. Aristides (the Athenian politician) arrives at Salamis and tells Themistocles that the Greek fleet is hemmed in (79). Friction between Themistocles and the Corinthians (59). The Persian army retreats north to Thessaly; Mardonius selects his troops (113). His armies, meanwhile, continue their advance into central Greece. Summary of and commentary on Herodotus' Histories, book 7 2015 In-text: (Summary of and commentary on Herodotus' Histories, book 7, 2015) Your Bibliography: Livius.org. 2015. The storm destroys the detachment of 200 Persian ships sailing around Euboea (13). 3. Course Hero, "Histories Study Guide," February 7, 2019, accessed December 23, 2020, https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Histories/. Histories Book 8 Summary & Analysis Book 8 Summary Book 8 traces the movements of the Greek and Persian forces after the battle of Thermopylae, as Xerxes continues his march toward Attica. Chapter Summary Book 1, The Story of Croesus Herodotus opens by stating Some Athenian exiles in Xerxes' camp sacrifice on the Acropolis; the miraculous growth of an olive tree at the Erectheum (54-55). One oracle was delivered to Mardonius in Carian (135). Hdt knows a story that Xerxes sailed all the way home in a ship, and made his retinue jump overboard to lighten the vessel in a storm (118). So it's fitting that, through Herodotus' book, the English patient reveals his own history. Further evidence in support of Hdt. Herodotus always states that for him the stories are or seem far fetched but he relates them to us, faithfully as he has heard them been narrated to him. Some of the Greeks begin to panic, but Themistocles bribes the commander of the fleet, the Spartan Eurybiades, to hold his position. A date is given: the archonship of Calliades, or 480 B.C. Arguably, it also rests in Themistocles (c. 524–460 BCE), who is just the cunning leader the Greeks need. Herodotus describes the fighting in the Persian camp at great length, pointing out that the Spartans are unable to take it until the Athenians have arrived. 43 - Peloponnesians; 44 - Athenians (and how the Plataeans got left behind); 45 - Megarians, etc. The Acropolis is taken; the temples are ransacked and destroyed (53). The Thessalians demand surrender, and threaten to have the Persians overrun tiny Phocis, the site of the oracle at Delphi (29). Xerxes in Greece: between Thermopylae and Salamis. Xerxes sends a message home; the Persian pony express is described (98). Themistocles appeals to Eurybiades, and hints that the Athenian fleet may desert the alliance (62). His Histories primarily deals with the lives of Croesus, Cyrus, Cambyses, Smerdis, Darius, and Xerxes and the battles of Marathon, Thermopylae, Artemisium, Salamis, Plataea, and Mycale ; however, his many cultural, ethnographical, geographical, historiographical, and other digressions form a defining and essential part of the Histories and contain a wealth of information. The History of Herodotus By Herodotus Written 440 B.C.E Translated by George Rawlinson Table of Contents Book IV Melpomene After the taking of Babylon, an expedition was led by Darius into Scythia. Dionysius escapes to Sicily with three captured ships and becomes a pirate (17). News of the defeat at Thermopylae reaches the Greek fleet, which heads south (21). The Greek fleet sails to Aegina under Leotychidas the Spartan; his genealogy (131). Herodotus'Histories, book 8. summary and comments by JonaLendering. A wall which was built across the isthmus of Corinth, and the different Peloponnesians who participated in the construction (71-72). (50). Herodotus records the size and composition of the Greek fleet—271 ships in total. Book Seven of Herodotus ' Histories ended with a Greek defeat, but in Book Eight we will hear about Greek successes. This chapter examines Herodotus' reshaping of Proteus to fit his historiographical narrative. Course Hero, Inc. As a reminder, you may only use Course Hero content for your own personal use and may not copy, distribute, or otherwise exploit it for any other purpose. Themistocles convinces Eurybiades, the Spartan commander, to reconvene the council (58). Roster of the Greek ships at Artemisium (1). In response to the Spartan envoys, the Athenians remind them of the sacrifices Athens has made for Greece, and urge the Spartans to prepare to fight a major land battle in Boeotia. [2] Mr. Woods, for example, in his edition of the first book (published in 1873) gives a list of readings for the first The Athenians plan to evacuate Attica, and halt the Greek fleet at Salamis for this purpose; but the Peloponnesians are planning to make their stand further south, at the Isthmus of Corinth (40). The Persians find a few Athenians barricaded on the Acropolis, which these Athenians think is the oracle's "wooden wall" (51). The Histories (Greek: Ἱστορίαι; Ancient Greek: [historíai ]; also known as The History) of Herodotus is considered the founding work of history in Western literature. The naval battle off Artemisium (8.1-39) Book Seven of Herodotus' Histories ended with a Greek defeat, but in Book Eight we will hear about Greek successes. - Alexander addresses the Athenians, urging them to accept an honorable settlement with Xerxes or face destruction (140). Thermopylae has fallen, and the plan must change. ; the total is 378 ships. This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. Themistocles argues for sailing to the Hellespont and breaking the bridges; Eurybiades argues against this, because Xerxes would be more dangerous if trapped in Europe (108). (8) Next day, when the detachment fails to appear, the Greeks However, the rivalry between the Greek cities continues even when they are united against a common enemy. and the rest of Greece (94). The story of Xerxes' eunuch Hermotimus, and the horrible revenge he got on the man who castrated him (104-6). Themistocles acquiesces, and points out that the gods have punished Xerxes for his impious and hubristic actions (109). The story is told by Dicaeus the Athenian concerning the divine apparition of the procession for Demeter and Kore; clearly a bad omen for Xerxes (65). Persians react with surprise upon hearing that the Olympic games have no cash prizes (26). It is in part a gripping and much revered tale of colossal confrontation between freedom-loving Greek-speaking peoples (the Athenians, Spartans, and others) and the seemingly unstoppable forces of … A story about the boyhood of Alexander's ancestor, Perdiccas (137-38). Mardonius sends his agent Mys ("Mouse") to consult the oracles (133). There is continued debate at Salamis, since some Peloponnesian commanders still want to retreat to the isthmus (74). Download a PDF to print or study offline. At night, the Persian navy is beset by violent storms. Course Hero. He sends a secret message to Xerxes informing him of how he, Themistocles, has convinced the Greeks not to hinder Xerxes' retreat (110). Why some Spartan envoys happened to be in Athens at the time of Alexander's appeal (141). The Greeks make offerings to Delphi in thanks for the victory at Salamis. A war council is held at Salamis; the Peloponnesians urge retreat to the isthmus (49). MVPs were the Egyptians, on the Persian side, and the Athenians on the Greek side (17). July 2013) This link contains a free pdf copy of Herodotus Book I: Greek Text with Facing Vocabulary and Commentary, 2nd ed. Delphi was one of the largest and wealthiest temples in Greece, dedicated to the god Apollo. Copyright © 2020. After it has been looted and the dead have been buried, the Greek allies move The Spartan and Corinthian commanders are cut in by Themistocles, and their objections are quieted (5). 2. The strategy is successful (11). Xerxes consults Artemisia about Mardonius' offer (101). Herodotus Book 1 - Duration: 15:27. Various oracular seats visited by Mys; why the Thessalians are not allowed to consult the oracle of Amphiaraus (134). The battle ends with the retreat of those Persian ships not yet destroyed; another prophecy is fulfilled (96). Twenty-third logos: the naval battle off Artemisium (8.1-39) Book Seven endedwith a Greek defeat, but in Book Eight we will hear about Greek successes. The Aegean world. The popular story that he swam 10 miles under water is doubted by Hdt. The Aftermath of Salamis & the Retreat of Xerxes. Herodotus is the guy who invented history. Next day, the Persian fleet attacks en masse in crescent formation (15). An Athenian/Aeginetan controversy over which ship struck first (84). Herodotus has been called the “father of history.”An engaging narrator with a deep interest in the customs of the people he described, he remains the leading source of original historical information not only for Greece between 550 and 479 BCE but also for much of western Asia and Egypt at that time. 's version of Xerxes' return to Asia Minor (120). Salamis Preliminaries; Xerxes on the Acropolis of Athens. The popular story that he swam 10 miles under water is doubted by Hdt. Herodotus' Histories is the first major surviving prose work from antiquity. Histories Study Guide. The Greek fleet retreats southwards (18). The veracity of the story is doubted by Hdt., on the grounds that it is improbable (119). General success of the Greeks, especially Athenians and Aeginetans (86). ; 46 - Aeginetans and other islanders; 47 - one ship from the Crotoniats, Greeks of Italy; 48 - non-trireme contingents from Melia, etc. A detachment of 200 Persian ships tries to sail around Euboea and surprise the Greeks (7). Themistocles sends a double-agent to Xerxes. No one is fooled (24-25). preface to his specimens of a new translation of Herodotus (/Œuvres complètes de P.-L. Courier/, Bruxelles, 1828). Course Hero. The fleet commanders are urged by the Ionians to sail against the Persians at Samos; but mutual fear keeps both fleets on opposite sides of the Aegean (132). The march of Xerxes back to the Hellespont, and the many deaths in the army from plague and hunger (115). Course Hero. A vote held to decide the MVP at Salamis is inconclusive, because each commander votes for himself; but they all vote Themistocles second place (123). Olynthus falls (127). Next spring, what is left of the Persian fleet remains at Samos, not crossing back to Greece (130). Summary of Herodotus Arms of TCS This is a chapter-by-chapter summary, with occasional notes, of the Histories of Herodotus, based mostly on the translation by Peter Greene (1987), with occasional reference to translations by A.D. Godley (1920), Aubrey de Sélincourt (1954), and Andrea Purvis (2007), by Jonathan Good of Reinhardt University. Even though they have a powerful navy, the Greeks are massively outnumbered by the Persians. Submitted by Jan van der Crabben , published on 18 January 2012 under the following license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike .   Terms. The Persian fleet advances; Persians occupy the northern tip of Euboea (23). The oligarch (supporter of rule by a few, especially the aristocracy but could also be the best educated) points out the inherent danger of democracy -- mob rule. The English Patient quizzes about important details and events in every section of the book. An oracle is ignored by the Euboeans (20). Some of the Greeks begin to panic, but Themistocles bribes the commander of the fleet, the Spartan Eurybiades, to hold his position. The Persian fleet positions are unknown to the Greeks (78). In accordance with their plan, the Greeks sail to Artemisium, where they see the Persian fleet. Almásy keeps this book with him everywhere he goes, a fat volume that could explode at any Course Hero is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university. Find summaries for every chapter, including a Histories Chapter Summary Chart to help you understand the book. The Athenians reject Mardonius' offer, citing their faith in their bravery and in the gods (143). (2019, February 7). A hasty decision to evacuate Attica is carried out (41; but epigraphical evidence (the "Decree of Themistocles") may be proof that the decision had in fact been made much earlier). Eurybiades the Spartan is in command of the fleet; why the allies were unwilling to have an Athenian in command, and why they later changed their minds (2-3). Some Chians escape to Ephesus, where they are mistaken for invaders and slain by the Ephesians, who are trying to protect their women who are at the Thesmophoria (16). Artemisia advises that he leave Mardonius in command, since then Xerxes will have nothing to lose even if Mardonius fails; Xerxes agrees (102-3). In the ensuing battle, the Greeks capture 30 Persian ships before sailing away. How Polycritus the Aeginetan proved himself, and reproached Themistocles for doubting him (92). Herodotus' Histories, the twenty-third logos: Artemisium summary and contents by Jona Lendering ©. Xerxes divides his troops; one contingent enters Boeotia, headed for Athens, while the other makes for the Delphic sanctuary (34-35). In retreat from Euboea, Themistocles leaves inscribed messages urging the Ionian Greeks to defect (22). Dispensator Humanitatum 2,662 views 15:27 Herodotus Book 8 - Duration: 11:26. The Persian fleet nears Salamis; Xerxes' numbers are increased by recent arrivals (66). Her luck in getting away with this, as Xerxes was watching from shore (88). Xerxes swallows the bait. Artabazus, returning from escorting Xerxes through Thrace, decides to retake Potidaea and Olynthus (126). Mardonius, to protect himself, urges Xerxes to keep fighting in Greece, or to go home and leave him, Mardonius, in command of 300,000 troops (100). Greek strategy: a tight circle of ships explodes outwards. During the battle, Aristides uses some hoplites to retake Psyttaleia (95). The angry refusal of the Phocians is motivated by hatred of Thessaly, not by Panhellenic feeling (30). A demand by the Spartans for reparations is laughed off by Xerxes with a threat (114). The English Patient Chapter IV, page 2 Philosophy of History Section 1 Original article by Herodotus. Xerxes hold a conference with his commanders, all of whom favor a sea fight at Salamis, except Queen Artemisia of Halicarnassus (67). How Artabazus exchanged a secret message with an accomplice inside Potidaea. Casualties occur on both sides; but the Greeks' ability to swim saves many of them (89). Course Hero. Book 8 - URANIA [8.1] THE Greeks engaged in the sea-service were the following. An Athenian story, that the Corinthians tried to sail away from the battle and had to be turned back by divine intervention, is firmly rejected by Hdt. A deserter jumps off a Persian ship and informs the Greeks of the Persian plans and situation. Herodotus's Histories Chapter Summary. The army crosses the Hellespont by ships, since the bridges have been destroyed by storms (117). Themistocles is urged by Mnesiphilus, an Athenian, to prevent this retreat (57). The Persian fleet prepares to attack the Greeks at Artemisium (6). The battle begins. The Persian Campaigns Against the Scythians.   Privacy February 7, 2019. Upload them to earn free Course Hero access! Along the way they attempt to occupy the Temple of Apollo at Delphi (home of the oracle) but are repulsed by a landslide caused by a sudden thunderstorm. Herodotus THE HISTORY General Index BOOK 1 - CLIO BOOK 2 - EUTERPE BOOK 3 - THALIA BOOK 4 - MELPOMENE BOOK 5 - TERPSICHORE BOOK 6 - ERATO BOOK 7 - POLYMNIA BOOK 8 BOOK … Artemisia wisely urges Xerxes to wait and allow the fragile Panhellenic coalition to break up; she points out the worthlessness of some of his allied forces (68). Narrow passages of water admiral of the the Thracian king who blinded sons... 23 ) book, the Persian plans and situation to the god Apollo 58 ) speech of the.. 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