Xerxes: Battle of Salamis

(History of Xerxes the Great)

*Salamis = an island of irregular form which is north of Egina and westward of Athens

*The Port of Athens was not far from there, so when Athens was burned they were able to see the smoke rising.

*the fleets had battled in directly opposite the Artemisian Strait while the armies were fighting at Thermopylae, until the Greeks had captured the pass and defeated Leonidas. Then the Persian ships left, and the Greek ships fell back to Salamis. When they found out that Athens had fallen they contemplated falling back to the isthmus shore. The Athenians wanted to remain, but the Corinthians wanted to fall back.

*The commander-in-chief Eurybiades, seeing it was impossible to keep everyone decided it would be best to concede and and conduct the fleet to the isthmus.

*The eve before, an influential and distinguished general named Themistocles retired to his ship
but was later visited by Mnesiphilus to inquire about the decision of the council. Upon hearing about the decision to withdraw, he commented that they would never have an opportunity to meet the enemy, as most likely withdrawing would cause the fleet to be broken up and not remain as a combined allied force.

*Themistocles went and talked with Eurybiades and relayed the arguments to him. A new council was convened. The new arguments were given and some additional ones that Themistocles came up with. He thought that Salamis would be a better place for fighting, as the projections of the land favored them and they could only be attacked by the front. At the isthmus that was not so, and they also could not utilized land troops at the isthmus. The Corinthians did not agree with the reasoning, but in the end Eurybiades gave in, especially after the Athenian ships determined to abandon the cause if they didn't stay at Salamis.

*The Persian fleets and Xerxes and his land troops drew near, but pause to convene a war council on board one of the principal galleys. A throne was provided for Xerxes, and seats for the various commanders, including for Artemisia (A Carian queen who was a prominent navel commander). Mardonius was the king's representative who spoke words to the people of which Xerxes bid him to speak and vice versa.

*All the commanders advised attacking the Greeks at Salamis, except for Artemisia. She warned against attacking the Greeks during their fury, suggested that they could either leave or just wait it out for them to starve etc. Surprisingly, Xerxes was not angered, although he did not follow her advice.

*Meanwhile, Themistocles feared a revolt, so he devised a plan in which he sent his slave Sicinnus to the Persian fleet and to tell them that Themistocles considered the cause of the Greeks to be lost and that he wanted to come over to their side, but could not openly do so on account of his situation, and that also the Greek fleet was in a state of disorder and dissensions and that some were secretly intending to escape. He urged the Persians to attack now and surround them, so that the whole squadron would fall into his hands.

*The Persians sent some galleys to the nearby island of Psyttalia to take possession of the island and prevent any Greeks from escaping in that direction. They also sent a detachment westward to prevent escape in that direction as well.

*Aristides came from far away and informed the Greeks that they were surrounded etc. A great amount of discord broke out and many did not believe it. However, soon after that a large galley arrived from the Persian fleet, which had been a Greek fleet (led by Paraetius) that had surrendered but wanted to come over to them since they didn't want to fight against his countrymen. This put an end to the debates and discord. (After the battle they were honored for their bravery in coming over by having all of their names engraved upon a sacred tripod and sent to the oracle at Delphi.)

*Xerxes had a throne erected again on a nearby eminence, along with guards, and scribes to document the noble deeds he was sure he would see. It was also to act as a means of punishment as well, and many commanders who lost their ships and were washed up on shore were brought to him and beheaded. Many of them were Greeks, who were not compelled to be successful in fighting against their countrymen.

*During the battle Artemisia got separated from the rest of Persian ships, except for that of Damasithymus whom she did not get along with. In order to save her ship, she pretended to be Greek and attacked the Persian ship and sunk it and killed everyone aboard. Ironically, Xerxes recognized her ship by some of the peculiarities in the wood, but he and his aids thought that she was attacking a Greek ship. Xerxes was quite impressed, and thought that she was the only commander who acted like a man while the rest of his men acted like women.

*The Greeks fought well and after several hours the Persians had to draw back.

*An interesting thing happened with Aristides. Originally, he had been expelled from Athens under the influence of Themistocles, and though he had crossed the Aegina to meet the fleet at Salamis he had been left on the shores as a spectator. There was also a small number of guard troops left. During combat when Aristides found the services of the guards no longer necessary, he took over, took possession of boats or a galley, transported the men across the galley, and attacked all the Persians on the island of Psyttalia, conquered and killed them all.

*The Greeks were the victors that day, but the loss of this battle was the final blow to Xerxes and he resolved to head speedily back to Susa.

*Mardonius asked for permission to stay behind with 300,000 troops to finish. After much thought and consulting with advisors (specifically Artemisia), he agreed.

*Xerxes pretended for a time to be preparing for another attack, so that the Greeks would not suspect their retreat and stop his passage.

*There was debate among the Greeks as to whether to follow them, and ultimately they decided not to, much to Themistocles disappointment.

*It took Xerxes 45 days to return to the Hellespont, and upon his arrival he found that storms had destroyed it.

*Mardonius did indeed stay, but he was not able to be successful and eventually died in battle.

*Xerxes had enough of battle and determined to indulge in pleasures the rest of his life.

*He had three sons eligible to be heirs - Darius, Hysterical, and Artaxerxes.

*His uncle Artabanus disappears from view after returning to Susa, but another Artabanus became a captain of the king's bodyguard and the common executioner.

*One day Xerxes became mad with his son Darius and ordered Artabanus to execute him, but he supposed the king to not mean it since he was in a drunk stupor. However, the next day the king was mad with him for not carrying it out. Artabanus grew fearful and decided to employ plans which had long been revolving in his head to destroy all of Xerxes' family. He got the chamberlain in on his plans, and went in during the night to the king's bed chamber and murdered him in his sleep.

*He then went into Artaxerxes' (the youngest) chamber, woke him, and told him that his brother Darius had killed the king in order to get the throne, and was planning on killing him next.

*Artaxerxes rushed into his brother's room and killed him. Other assassinations followed, including Artabanus and his adherents.

*Artaxerxes took "quiet" possession of the throne.