Book 7: Herodotus' Histories.
Answers due October 17.
Limestone statue of warrior, found in Sparta (5th cntury BCE)
Generally called "Leonidas," Spartan king and hero of Thermopylae.
0. Why did Darius not himself punish the Athenians for their defeat of the Persian army at Marathon? 7.1-4
1. What role does Herodotus say that the Aleuadae, the Pisistratids, and Onomacritus have in persuading Xerxes to attack Athens? What role did Mardonius play? What is a "satrap"? 7. 6
2. What are Artabanus' two main arguments against Xerxes' plan to invade Greece, and what was Xerxes' reaction? 7.10-11
3. Why did Artabanus sleep in Xerxes' bed, in Xerxes' pajamas? What was the result? 7.11-18
4. What is Herodotus' opinion of the relative size of Xerxes' army sent against Greece? To what three other expeditions does he compare its size? 7.20-21
5. Why did Xerxes order a canal to cut the isthmus of Athos? Why does Herodotus think he did it? 7.22-24
6. Why -- and how -- did Xerxes punish the Hellespont and his original bridge makers? What does Herodotus think of these actions? 7.33-36
7. How does Xerxes treat Pythius when he first meets him? 7.26-29 How does this compare to how he treats him and his family later? 7.37-40. What kind of picture of the Persian king does this contrast create?
8. What did Xerxes do at Troy, and what happened to his forces there? 7. 43
9. Why does Xerxes cry when looking on his mighty army? Why does Artabanus fear about the outcome of the expedition? How does Xerxes deal with Artabanus? 7.44-52
10. How long did it take Xerxes' forces to march across the Hellespont bridge? To whom does an onlooker compare Xerxes? What is the point of this comparison? 7. 54-56
11. What does Demaratus say that causes Xerxes to laugh? What does the king's incredulity and reaction to Demaratus say about barbarian understanding of Greeks? 7.101-105
12. How does Demaratus describe the Spartans to Xerxes? How do they contrast with Persians? 7. 102-104
13. What does Herodotus have to say about the outlet of the Thessalian basin between Mt. Pelium and Mt. Ossa? What does this tell us concerning his ideas about religion and science? 7.128-29
14. What unpopular opinion does Herodotus feel the need to express about the Persian Wars, that he thought would "offend a great many people?" Why do you think he makes this statement? Why do you think it was unpopular? 7. 139
15. What do the oracles of Delphi seem to portend for the Athenians in their struggle against the Persians? Why do you think the oracle had such an attitude? 7.140-143
16. What was Themistocles' interpretation of the oracles? What wise advice had he earlier given to the Athenians? 7.143-144
17. Why did the Argives remain neutral in the Persian conflict? What does Herodotus say about his obligation as an historian? 7.148-152
19. Why is Thermopylae so named? What is it like physically? 7.176, and note, page 708
20. 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? 7.178
21. What sacrifice did the Persians make near Skyathos, and why? 7.180
22. 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? 7.184-187
23. 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? 7.188-189
24. How many generations removed from Heracles was the Spartan king Leonidas? Why do you think that Herodotus gives his full genealogy here? 7.202-206
25. Why did Leonidas make sure to bring Thebans with him to Thermopylae, according to Herodotus? What does the verb "to Medize" mean? 7.205, and note, p. 709
26. 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? 7.208-210
27. Why did Xerxes welcome the help of the Malian man Ephialtes? What motivated Ephialtes? How did he die? 7. 213-215
28. How were the Persians able to outflank the Spartans at Thermopylae? 7.213-218
29. What three things gave the Greeks at Thermopylae notice that their doom was upon them? 7.219
30. Why does Herodotus think that Leonidas sent the non-Spartan troops away before the final battle at Thermopylae? 7.220-221
31. What is the witticism of Dieneces the Spartan as relates to the Persians? 7.226
32. Why did Xerxes spare the Thebans after the battle of Thermopylae? 7. 233
33. Xerxes is clearly impressed by the Spartans at Thermopylae, and asks Demaratus the Spartan his advice on how to defeat them. What advice does Demaratus give the king? Does Xerxes take this advice? Why or why not? 7.234-237
34. What is remarkable about the way Xerxes treated Leonidas' corpse? 7.238
35. 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 had this clever Spartan earlier shown great wisdom? 7.239; 5.51