Athens: Its Rise and Fall, Book VLytton, Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron
History
Athens: Its Rise and Fall, Book V
Lytton, Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron
Athens (Greece) -- History
[75] There were [three hundred, for the sake of round numbers--but
one of the three hundred--perhaps two--survived the general massacre.]
three hundred Spartans and four hundred Thespians; supposing that (as
it has been asserted) the eighty warriors of Mycenae also remained
with Leonidas, and that one hundred, or a fourth of the Thebans fell
ere their submission was received, this makes a total of eight hundred
and eighty. If we take now what at Plataea was the actual ratio of
the helots as compared with the Spartans, i. e, seven to one, we shall
add two thousand one hundred helots, which make two thousand nine
hundred and ninety; to which must be added such of the Greeks as fell
in the attacks prior to the slaughter of Thermopylae; so that, in
order to make out the total of the slain given by Herodotus, more than
eleven hundred must have perished before the last action, in which
Leonidas fell.
[76] Plut. in vit. Them.
[77] Ibid.
[78] It is differently stated; by Aeschylus and Nepos at three
hundred, by Thucydides at four hundred.
[79] Plut. in vit. Them.
[80] Here we see additional reason for admiring the sagacity of
Themistocles.
[81] Her., lib. viii., c. 74.
[82] The tutor of his children, Sicinnus, who had experience of the
Eastern manners, and spoke the Persian language.
[83] The number of the Persian galleys, at the lowest computation,
was a thousand [Nepos, Herodotus, and Isocrates compute the total at
about twelve hundred; the estimate of one thousand is taken from a
dubious and disputed passage in Aeschylus, which may be so construed
as to signify one thousand, including two hundred and seven vessels,
or besides two hundred and seven vessels; viz., twelve hundred and
seven in all, which is the precise number given by Herodotus. Ctesias
says there were more than one thousand.]; that of the Greeks, as we
have seen, three hundred and eighty. But the Persians were infinitely
more numerously manned, having on board of each vessel thirty
men-at-arms, in addition to the usual number of two hundred. Plutarch
seems to state the whole number in each Athenian vessel to be fourteen
heavy armed and four bowmen. But this would make the whole Athenian
force only three thousand two hundred and forty men, including the
bowmen, who were probably not Athenian citizens. It must therefore be
supposed, with Mr. Thirlwall, that the eighteen men thus specified were
an addition to the ordinary company.
[84] Aeschylus. Persae. 397.
[85] The Persian admiral at Salamis is asserted by Ctesias to have
been Onaphas, father-in-law to Xerxes. According to Herodotus, it was
Ariabignes, the king's brother, who seems the same as Artabazanes,
with whom he had disputed the throne.--Comp. Herod., lib. vii., c. 2,
and lib. viii., c. 89.
[86] Plut in vit. Them.
[87] Plut. in vit. Them. The Ariamenes of Plutarch is the Ariabignes
of Herodotus.
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