Casting Through Ancient Greece
Casting Through Ancient Greece
Teaser: Opposing Plans
This is a teaser of the bonus episode, "Opposing Plans" found over on Patreon.
Ever wondered how a narrow strait and a brilliant stratagem could turn the tide of history? Prepare to be captivated as we unravel the intricate strategies and pivotal moments leading up to and during the Battle of Salamis. Discover how Xerxes' hubris and determination to annihilate the Greek fleet led him to dismiss the sage advice of Artemisia, opting instead for a direct and ultimately disastrous naval confrontation. We'll break down the contrasting approaches of the Persian and Greek forces, delving into how Themistocles' genius, persuasive leadership and trickery kept the Greek coalition unified and strategically positioned in the treacherous Straits of Salamis.
Join us as we delve into Themistocles' mastery of psychological warfare and strategic manoeuvring. We'll recount the intense debates among Greek commanders and the crucial intelligence brought by Aristides, which confirmed the bait had been taken by Xerxes. As the battle unfolds, you'll learn how oracles and prophecies influenced critical decisions and boosted Greek morale, leading to a victory that would define the course of the Greco-Persian Wars. This episode promises a gripping exploration of the lead up to one of history's most consequential naval battles, shedding light on the cunning tactics and high-stakes drama that shaped the outcome.
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Hello everyone, and thanks for supporting the series here on Patreon, and welcome to our bonus episode for September 2024. The Persians had overrun the positions of Thermopylae and Artemisium, these being the first lines of defence that the Hellenic League had mounted. Although the Persians had suffered greatly at both, they had the numbers which would allow them to continue the fight, while the Greeks would lose out in the battle of Attrition. Fortunately for the Persians, they would not need to push this attritional approach, as the position at Thermopylae would be betrayed to them, while at Artemisium, the Greeks would decide to withdraw from the position before another day of battle could develop. With both positions having fallen, the Persians now had access to central Greece and would begin subjugating those cities that had yet to provide earth and water. The shrine at Delphi would also be targeted in an attempt to gain revenge for the destruction of the temple in Sardis back during the Onian Revolt. However, the site would be denied to the Persians. Perhaps the rough terrain aided the defenders or, like Herodotus reports, Apollo had a hand in his shrine remaining intact. However, xerxes was able to take control of Boeotia and would cross into Attica, where Athens was easily taken, though most of the Athenians had crossed over to the island of Salamis in the face of their advance.
Speaker 1:During this time, the Hellenic League fleet had been gathering at Salamis and would, with great difficulty, be convinced by Themistocles to remain there and give battle. The Peloponnesians had always wanted to mount a defence of Greece at the Corinthian Isthmus, and their withdrawals had given them more motivation to follow this plan. However, themistocles, with his arguments and threats, had seen the fleet hold firm for now. This now sees us in a position with the Greek station on the island of Salamis facing off against the Persians, who had now based their fleet on the ports of Athens. For this bonus episode, we are going to explore the strategy each side wanted to take in the upcoming battle on sea, while we will also pay close attention to the actions taken by Themistocles in ensuring the Hellenic League would continue to remain and fight at Salamis.
Speaker 1:From our last episode, we saw Xerxes had sought the opinions from his generals on how they should proceed. All, it seems, had known Xerxes wanted to engage the Greek fleet and defeat it once and for all. That is all except for one. Herodotus would present Artemisia, the queen of his hometown, halicarnassus, as being the wise counsel to the great king of Persia. She had advised him that the Persian fleet should avoid battle with the Greeks. Although fewer in number, the Greeks were far better sailors than the various nation contingents that made up the Persian fleet. She also advised that Xerxes had already obtained his goal. He had captured Athens, gaining his revenge for the involvement in the Onan revolt. If he were to continue the campaign, he would be far better served in mounting a land campaign at the Isthmus into the Peloponnese.
Speaker 1:Rumour had it that the Greeks, with their league, were on the verge of collapse. All the Persians needed to do was avoid the Greek strength, their fleet and instead focus on where they were weak the Greeks' disunity. However, it would seem Xerxes had already made up his mind that the Hellenic League had to be defeated at sea. He was convinced the reason that it had not been wiped out at Artemisium was due to the fact he had been with the army and not overseeing the fleet's action. Now that he had taken Athens and was on the Attic coast, he would be with the fleet. In Xerxes' mind, this factor would see that all of the contingents would fight their hardest and overwhelm the Greeks.
Speaker 1:The Persian strategy in the upcoming engagement was pretty simple and rested on two main points. The first was the physical nature of their ships, with them being lighter than the Greeks. This would mean that they would be more maneuverable and faster. The second point was to do with the numerical superiority the Persians held. With these points, the Persian fleet would look to draw the Greeks out into open water. If this could be achieved, it would allow the greater maneuverability and speed of their triremes to be used to their fullest potential. It would allow the Persians to take the initiative, dictating the flow of battle, with the Greeks left to respond. Added to this would be the overwhelming numbers the Persians could employ in carrying out their manoeuvres. These numbers could be used to completely overwhelm the Greeks in the opening of the engagement, seeing the Greek line being outflanked and enveloped. All the Persians could hold back a section of their force to be used as a reserve to reinforce success during the battle.
Speaker 1:However, as events leading up to the Battle of Salamis would develop, it would seem Xerxes had not completely ignored the advice of Artemisia. There would be signs that the Persian army would be sent marching along the coastal road towards the Isthmus. This appears to be done to test the unity of the Greek fleet. Defensive work had been completed at the Isthmus, but would be far more formidable if the Peloponnesian contingents could make it back to assist in manning it. So, as well as preparing for a favourable battlefield, xerxes looked to undermine the resolve of the Hellenic League. Perhaps this may have also served as a means to try and entice the Greeks from the narrows of the straits that they were in.
Speaker 1:The Greeks, however, were looking to fight the Battle of Salamis in a different manner. They knew full well that they were outnumbered and that their tri-rooms were heavier, therefore less manoeuvrable and slower. Because of these reasons, they looked to bring the battle into the Straits of Salamis. If they could do this, then the numbers of the Persian ships would not become a Persian advantage, as they would not be able to engage the Greeks all at once and would not have the room to outflank the Greek line. If anything, the overwhelming numbers of the Persians could become a hindrance to themselves as they tried to enter the Straits. This would be similar to the strategy followed at Artemisium and the battle on land at Thermopylae. Fighting in a more constricted space, the speed and manoeuvrability of the Persian ships would not matter as much. They would not have the space for these advantages to make an impact, and instead it may well be the Greek ships with the advantage, since they were heavier. In a head-to-head clash, these heavier triremes could inflict more damage on the lighter Persian vessels.
Speaker 1:However, for the Greeks to have a chance in the upcoming battle, they needed their fleet to hold in their determination to fight the Persians. As we had seen, this unity within the Hellenic League was very precarious. Although we had seen Themistocles was able to convince the Peloponnesians to remain at Salamis, there was no guarantee that they would change their minds once again. Once again, as we just spoke about, the Persians knew there were arguments breaking out within the Greek camp and they looked to fan these flames in an attempt to see the Greek fleet break apart. So the Greeks needed to find a method to ensure that this would not take place. However, the situation within the Hellenic League was not as simple as the Greeks looking to prevent this.
Speaker 1:The fleet was commanded by Eurybiades, who was a Spartan general and who was more sympathetic to the pleas of the Peloponnesians. However, the Athenian general, themistocles, appears to have a good deal of influence within the league, this perhaps coming down to Athens supplying the greatest number of ships. It was Themistocles who was insistent on the fleet remaining fighting at Salamis. Although the strategy to stay and fight the Persians at Salamis was to benefit the Greeks, it was only those who had cities north of the Corinthian isthmus who appeared to be in favour of this action. Those who resided on the Peloponnese were for falling back to the line of the isthmus. However, this put the Greeks in a worse position. Themistocles' immediate motivations for fighting at Salamis would have been due to the Persians having marched into Attica and capturing Athens. If the fleet abandoned Salamis, then Athens would be lost, with it much harder to recover. However, he also recognised that if Greece was to survive and Athens was to be recovered, the best course of action was to engage and defeat the Persian fleet while the Greek contingents were acting as one. So the strategy of keeping the Greeks united would come down to Themistocles convincing finding some other means to keep the various contingents united. So now that we have seen how both sides wanted to fight the upcoming battle at Salamis, let us now look at the steps taken to attempt to see their plans put into action, with us first looking at how Themistocles would ensure that the Hellenic fleet would remain intact at Salamis. The massing of the Persian fleet off the Attic coast and the marching of the land forces towards the Corinthian isthmus would start to cause the desired response the Persians were looking for For.
Speaker 1:With the Greeks now aware of these Persian actions, another council was held with all the Greek generals. The Peloponnesians had become fearful of what fate awaited their cities and began talking to each other, in whispers, about the foolishness of Eurybiades' decision to remain at Salamis. However, with the generals realising that many of them shared the same thoughts, the whispers soon turned into open debate. Once again, the same arguments were put forward as what had been in the earlier meetings, with them wanting to undertake the risk of battle for their own homelands rather than one that had already been taken. However, the debate would be matched by Themistocles and the generals from Aegina and Megara, whose lands would be abandoned if the Peloponnesians fell back. As the debate on the matter continued, it would become clear to Themistocles that he was losing the dispute. He would fade into the background as the arguments continued without being noticed. It was now time to implement his own strategy against his fellow Greeks to ensure they would stay and fight.
Speaker 1:Here we will turn to how Herodotus reports Themistocles' actions. When the Peloponnesians were outvoting him, themistocles secretly left the assembly and sent a man by boat to the Median fleet. After ordering him what to say, his name was Synechus and he was Themistocles' servant and his son's attendant. Later, themistocles enrolled him as a thespian, when the thespians were adopting citizens, and made him wealthy with money. He now came by boat and said to the generals of the barbarians the Athenian general has sent me without the knowledge of the other Hellenes. He is on the king's side and prefers that your affairs prevail, not the Hellenes. I am here to tell you that the Hellenes are terrified and plan flight, and you can now perform the finest deeds of all if you do not allow them to escape. They do not all have the same intent and they will no longer oppose you. Instead, you will see them fighting against themselves, those who are on your side against those who are not. After indicating this to them, he departed.
Speaker 1:The message would have been taken to Xerxes and assessed. With it. Likely a council with his generals would have been held. Whatever the discussions were during this council, they had decided that the message that Seneca's had delivered was credible, and so the Persians would begin to position their fleet based on this information. Themistocles' aim in delivering a message that seemed to betray the Greeks was in fact an attempt to force the Hellenic League to unite, as they would have no other choice.
Speaker 1:The deployments that Xerxes had his fleet perform would show that the bait Themistocles had delivered was taken. The deployments the fleet carried out would effectively see the Greeks and Salamis trapped and unable to sail away to the Peloponnese. Firstly, persian forces would be landed on a small island at the entrance of the straits. Their objective to rescue their own crews. They would be washed up during the battle and to dispatch those of the enemy. Then, during the night, the western wing of the Persian fleet would be instructed to encircle the island of Salamis. Then the remainder of the fleet deployed in a line from Salamis to the Attic coast, blocking the southern exit. All of these movements were conducted as quietly as possible, as they did not want the Greeks discovering what was taking place and give them a chance to escape. However, because of when and how these deployments were carried out, the Persian crews would not gain any rest this night and would have to enter the next day, having been deprived of sleep. So the deployment that Xerxes had made would see that the Greeks were stuck in their position with no way to escape. The northern escape route had been blocked off by the encircling detachment, while the rest of the fleet saw that the southern end had been sealed off. This would see that Xerxes would get his decisive battle and hopefully wipe out the Hellenic League fleet.
Speaker 1:However, the deployments had also gone the way Themistocles had hoped. He, along with the cities north of the Isthmus, wanted the fleet to remain at fight, and the only way to achieve this now was to have the Greeks in a situation where there was no retreat. This reminds me somewhat of the writings of the Chinese strategist Sun Tzu, who is credited with the art of war, which roughly dates to around the same time period. He wrote about putting your own forces on death's ground where they would have no choice but to fight or die. This often has the effect of your forces performing beyond their usual abilities due to this all or nothing mentality. As we can see, those for staying and those wanting to leave were now placed in the same position, but with different motivations feeding it. Those wanting to fight were in a position of victory or the complete loss of their lands, as they would be in no position to recover them if they were defeated, they would be in no position to recover them. If they were defeated, the Peloponnesians would also now be in a position where they had to fight with all they had so they could be able to return to their cities and defend them from any attempt made by the Persians on land.
Speaker 1:While the Persians were in the process of carrying out the deployments, the Greeks back on Salamis were still in debate over how they should proceed. The tensions within the council had become much more heated as the various commanders saw the perceived dangers in their opponents' arguments. They had no idea that, while they argued with one another, the Persians were gradually closing the net on their position, making escape virtually impossible. During these proceedings, the Greeks would finally learn what was taking place around them.
Speaker 1:During the darkness, an Athenian named Aristides, who had been previously exiled, sailed over to Salamis from the island of Aegina, where he was able to witness what was taking place, slipping through to Salamis before the trap was closed. Upon arriving, he would attend where the council was taking place and would summon Themistocles, who had once again returned after shady dealings. The two had been enemies back in Athens in the previous years. It's seeming likely Themistocles may have been the cause of his ostracism and forced exile. Now, though, the two had a common cause and enemy, and he would reveal to Themistocles what he had witnessed on his journey over. What he would tell him would make Themistocles relieved that Xerxes had taken the bait.
Speaker 1:Herodotus records Aristides' message to him. As In any crisis, themistocles, but especially in this one, it is we who should strive to see which of us can do more for our fatherland. Let me tell you, as far as the Peloponnesians are concerned, it makes no difference whether there is much or a little talk about sailing away, for I have seen with my own eyes that even if the Corinthians and Eurybiades himself wanted to sail out of here, they could not possibly do so because we are encircled by our enemies. Being advised of what was taking place, themistocles would reveal to Aristides how this was welcome news, as he had hoped the Persians would do. As such, he then revealed what he had been up to and the messenger he had sent across to the Persian camp to try and incite what Aristides had witnessed. Themistocles then invited Aristides to accompany him to the council to report to them what he had seen, as they would most certainly dismiss whatever Themistocles reported, although Aristides made his report to the council. The Peloponnesians were too focused on making it back to the Peloponnese that they just dismissed him as another Athenian looking out for his own city above the rest of Greece. However, the Peloponnesians would finally be convinced of the position they were now in when a ship of deserters from the Persian side arrived at Salamis. After coming ashore, they would confirm all that Aristides had reported, and it now sunk in that there was no way for them to sail away. The only way that they were going to make it back to their cities on the Peloponnese was to defeat the Persian fleet. That they were going to make it back to their cities on the Peloponnese was to defeat the Persian fleet.
Speaker 1:We also need to remember the impact that the oracles could have on cities and people, with the sacred taken very seriously in these times. Herodotus cites a prophecy that had been related before Salamis and was recorded for him to witness in his time. Herodotus can be sceptical of prophecies or remain neutral on them. However, for the following, he refuses to reject it based on how plainly it spells out the situation. We also need to keep in mind that Themistocles most probably had also heard the prophecy, with it possibly also cementing his certainty in the actions he took.
Speaker 1:Herodotus records what was seen to suggest a Greek victory in the upcoming battle. Smother might greed, ravenous sun of hubris Raging in his lust, he thinks to drink and swallow all. Bronze against bronze will then engage closely and Ares will colour the open sea red. At that time will Hellas see the day of its freedom, brought by Pharsian Crinides and the Lady of Victory? So this brings us to the close of our look at the Persians and the Greeks plans for the upcoming battle.
Speaker 1:Next bonus episode, we are going to look at how the battle unfolded, paying attention to which side was able to have the battle unfold as they wished. Also, we are going to focus on a couple of points during the battle of Salamis that have remained not fully answered to this point. Thank you all for the continued support here on Patreon. I greatly appreciate it and hope you continue to enjoy the series. Remember, if you have any areas you would like to see me cover in more detail, please send me a message. Thanks again, all, and I will see you again next month with our look at the action that took place at Salamis.