Xerxes: the Burning of Athens

(History of Xerxes the Great)
*after the battle at Thermopylae the Persian fleet pursued the Greek fleet which had retreated to Salamis

*The Thessalians helped Xerxes troops as guides, as they harbored many bitter feelings for the Phocaeans. They had done battle with them before, and were extremely vexed by a couple of their stratagems. One involved the Phocaeans painting their faces white and attacking them at night, and the second involved them creating hidden traps in the ground into which their horses fell.

*Xerxes attacked and plundered many towns on his path. One particularly interesting attack was against the city of Delphi. Delphi was in a position of difficult access, and was considered impregnable in military strength and also under protection by Apollo. It was celebrated throughout the world for its oracle and magnificence in architecture, art, and its treasures. Great rulers who came to inquire of the oracle would bring great gifts. In the time of Xerxes it had been famous for several hundred years.

*Delphi was originally found by some herdsmen who had been on the mountains watching their flocks, when one day they saw some of their goats performing strange antics among some crevices in the rocks, and when they went over they found a mysterious wind coming from the crevices which produced a strange exhilaration for anyone who breathed it. The news of this spread and it was supposed that the breathing of the air was a divine inspiration and a temple was built on the spot with priests and priestesses and a city began to rise.

*The main body of Xerxes troops headed southward towards Athens, but a large detachment separated and headed westward toward Delphi to plunder the temples and the city. The people of Delphi were full of fear, and inquired of the oracle what they should do. The oracle said that they should do nothing with the treasures, and that the divinity could protect that which was its own. They just had to provide for themselves and their families. Upon hearing that they removed their families and own effects to a place of safety, and a military force remained behind and a small number of inhabitants.

*As the Persians drew near, a weird occurrence happened. A suit of arms hung in the inner and sacred apartments of the temple and forbidden to be touched were found removed to the outward front of the temple. As the Persians came still nearer, loud thunder burst from the sky and a bold detached two enormous masses of rock which rolled down upon the invaders. Then the Delphian soldiers rushed down upon them amid the state of confusion. They were led on by the spirits of two ancient heroes who appeared in the form of tall & full-armored warriors, did wondrous things, and disappeared after the battle.

*Meanwhile in Athens, the rulers had given up hope and told the inhabitants to seek refuge wherever they could find it. Thus the city was evacuated, but a few remained behind believing that earlier words from the Delphi of "wooden walls" meant the wooden palisade around the citadel and not the ships of the fleet.

*Xerxes had no problem taking the city of Athens, for the few people remaining had gone to the citadel (which was on an oblong rocky hill and the sides of which were perpendicular cliffs), had built a wooden palisade across the only approach and put rocks on top to roll down upon the assailants. Xerxes plundered and burned the town, and then took up his position on a hill opposite the citadel and had some constructions made in which to throw enormous flaming arrows. The wooden wall was completely consumed. It was still hard to climb, but after a long conflict and many deaths, Xerxes succeeded in getting into the citadel. Some of his troops had found a path which allowed them to climb up the wall and open the gate from inside after fighting the guards inside. The citadel was also set on fire.

*Xerxes was very happy with his success at Athens, for that had been his chief desire to destroy Athens and he dispatched a messenger to take the news to Susa.

(side note: to be noted the Greeks, specifically Sparta, had been warned by Demaratus in advance of the coming battles. He sent them a mess on two writing tablets by cleverly etching in wood or metal the message and then covering it with the wax paper to hide the message. Writing was usually done on top of the wax.)

(side note: The Persians had so desperately wanted to burn Athens, because the Athenians had earlier burned a Persian city.)