HERODOTUS' HISTORIES 7 (MIDDLE) - 9
BLANCO/ROBERTS TRANSLATION
0. What three factors influenced the Greeks to make a stand against the Persians at Thermopylae?
1. Why is Thermopylae so named? What is it like physically? (184, 190)
2. What oracle did the Delphians (and Athenians) get when they asked what to do about the Persian threat? How was this related to the battle at Artemisium? (185, 187)
3. What sacrifice did the Persians make near Skyathos, and why?
4. How many total combatants does Herodotus say the Xerxes brought with him into Greece? What was the grand total, if one added the camp followers, and support people? How does Herodotus compliment Xerxes in light of these tremendous numbers? (186-187)
5. Why did the winds die down after so much of the Persian fleet was destroyed at Artemisium? How does Herodotus show his rationalism in this description?
6. How many generations removed from Heracles was the Spartan king Leonidas? Why do you think that Herodotus gives his full genealogy here? (191)
7. Why did Leonidas make sure to bring Thebans with him to Thermopylae, according to Herodotus? What does the verb "to Medize" mean?
8. What did Xerxes think about the Spartans who were combing their hair so carefully at Thermopylae? Why did he not believe Damaratus' explanation of their action? (192-193)
9. Why did Xerxes welcome the help of the Malian man Ephialtes? What motivated Ephialtes How did he die?
10. How were the Persians able to outflank the Spartans at Thermopylae?
11. What three things gave the Greeks at Thermopylae notice that their doom was upon them? (195)
12. Why does Herodotus think that Leonidas sent the non-Spartan troops away before the final battle at Thermopylae?
13. What is the witticism of Dieneces the Spartan as relates to the Persians? (197)
14. What is remarkable about the way Xerxes treated Leonidas' corpse?
15. How did Demaratus send a secret message to Sparta about Xerxes' plans to invade Greece? And who was the only one who could figure out the message? How did this clever Spartan earlier show great wisdom? (200, 127-129)
Herodotus Histories Book 8
16. Why did a Spartan -- Eurybiades -- command the Greek fleet... instead of an Athenian?
17. How did the Athenian Themistocles induce the Greeks to stay and fight at Artemisium? (203)
18. How does Herodotus demonstrate his rationalism in his description of the desertion to the Greeks of Scyllias the Scionian? (203-204)
19. What trick did Themistocles play on the Persians after the battle of Artemisium? (206-207)
20. How did Xerxes prepare a false battlefield scene at Thermopylae for sightseers? Why did he do it? (207)
21. How does the Persian reaction to information about the Olympic games point out a major difference between Greeks and Barbarians? (207-208)
22. What did the Delphians do at the approach of the Persians? What marvels occurred that supposedly protected Delphi? (209-210)
23. How did the Persians first attack the Acropolis at Athens? How did they finally capture it? What act of impiety did they perform there? (213-214)
24. What remarkable thing happened on the Acropolis the day after the barbarians sacked it? Where on the Acropolis did this event take place?
25. What arguments in favor of fighting at Salamis -- and against withdrawing to the Isthmus -- does Themistocles offer? (215)
26. What tensions between Athens and Corinth emerge at Salamis?
27. What happened on the Thirasian plain while Xerxes' army was leveling the countryside in Attica? How was it interpreted? (216-217)
28. How does Herodotus show his skepticism in describing the 'snake' on the Athenian Acropolis? (211)
29. What is Herodotus' belief as to the account of the miraculous olive tree (214)?
30. What good advice does the female Greek admiral Artemisia give to Xerxes? What is Xerxes' reaction? (217-218)
31. How did the Athenian Themistocles use deceit (dolos) to make the Persians do battle at Salamis? (219-220)
32. What is Herodotus' feeling about oracles, and why does he feel this way? (220)?
33. How do Greeks and Barbarians differ in battle (222-223)?
34. How did Artemisia please Xerxes in battle? Why was there a price on her head? (222-223)
35. Whence comes the United States Postal Service motto (225)?
36. What does Artemisia advise that Xerxes do after the battle of Salamis? What is his reaction? How would you characterize their relationship? (226-227)
37. How did the eunuch Hermotimus get revenge on the man who had him castrated? (227-228)
38. What was the substance of the Greek debate over the Hellespont bridge? (228-229)
39. What does Themistocles say bout the gods' involvement in the Persian invasion? (229)
40. What 'gods' do Themistocles and the Andrians invoke in their disagreement over money? How does this episode exemplify Themistocles' attitude towards money? (229-30)
41. How does Xerxes react when Spartan envoys ask for compensation for the death of Leonidas? What is the underlying meaning of his cryptic response? How does Herodotus tell us that Mardonius finally gave compensation to the Spartans for Leonidas' death? (230-231, 237)
42. How hungry were the retreating Persian troops? (231)
43. What 'monstrous act' did the Thracian king of the Bisaltians commit, and why? What about this story would appeal to a Greek audience? (231)
44. What does Xerxes ask his subjects to do for him when his ship is in trouble? What is Herodotus' belief about this account, and why does he feel this way? (231-232).
45. What victory offerings did the Greeks make to the gods? What was the Delphic god's reaction? (232)
46. What honors did Themistocles receive for his role in repelling the Persians? What honor did he FAIL to receive? (232-233)
Herodotus Book 9 Histories
47 . How did Greek sacrifices affect their participation in the battle of Plataea? What does this tell us about Greeks' attitude towards their religion? (236-237)
48. How did Persian military equipment differ from that of the Greeks? (237)