Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2015/05/22
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Nathan, Quite interesting high school which you attended, I think most adults today would have a tough time with Herodotos, or parts thereof. John On 5/20/15 11:44 PM, Nathan Wajsman wrote: > Fascinating. We learned this history in high school in Denmark but I had > forgotten most of it. > > Cheers, > Nathan > > Nathan Wajsman > > Alicante, Spain > http://www.frozenlight.eu > http://www.greatpix.eu > PICTURE OF THE WEEK: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws > Blog: http://nathansmusings.wordpress.com/ > > Cycling: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/belgiangator > > YNWA > > > > > > > > > > > > > >> On 20 May 2015, at 22:11, John Nebel <john.nebel at csdco.com> wrote: >> >> <http://photos.csd.net/athens_s_gi.html> >> >> Tetradrachm 483-480 BC >> O: Athena wearing a crested Corinthian helmet >> R: Owl, olive branch left, ??? right, ? off the flan >> >> By 483 BC, the Athenians had discovered a new, large silver deposit in >> their Laurion mines. One foresighted Athenian, Themistokles, persuaded >> the Athenian assembly that the newly mined silver should be used to pay >> for expansion of their navy. He knew the Persians were planning an >> invasion, although he used a local adversary, the Aeginetans as a more >> immediate and publicly acceptable reason for the naval expansion. As a >> result of Themistocles's persuasion, the Athenian navy was increased by >> 200 ships, triremes, three banks of oars, each ship to be manned by a >> crew of 200. >> >> In 480 BC, under the command of Xerxes, the Great King, an immense >> Persian army and navy invaded the fiercely independent collection of >> city-states comprising the Greek world. Cities surrendered, often without >> a fight, but a few stood fast, allied with the Spartans and Athenians. A >> crack contingent of Spartans had been destroyed at Thermopylai and the >> Persians prepared to invade Athens although the Greek tenacity at >> Thermopylai had surprised Xerxes. The Athenians panicked, and again >> Themistokles intervened. He convinced his fellow Athenians that a >> Pythian oracle advising them to seek refuge within wooden walls must be >> interpreted that the Athenians should take refuge in their triremes, >> ships of wood, which most indeed did. >> >> Herodotus 7.143-4 >> >> "But a wall made of wood does farsighted Zeus to Tritogenes (Athena) grant >> Alone and unravaged, to help you and your children. >> Do not await peacefully the horse and the foot, >> The army gigantic that comes from the mainland; >> Withdraw, turn your backs, though someday you still will meet face to >> face" >> >> Athens was abandoned by its citizens, transported to safety in her ships, >> soon afterwards invaded and sacked by the Persians. >> >> The Persian navy pursued the Athenian and allied cities' ships, thinking >> them cornered, and Themistokles intervened yet again, persuading again >> with trickery, this time that the allied navy must fight the Persians >> rather than run, ultimately resulting in a decisive Greek naval victory >> at Salamis. The Persian defeat was viewed personally by Xerxes, watching >> from a throne on a nearby hilltop. Xerxes fully expected to be >> entertained by viewing a slaughter of the Greeks, thereby bloodily >> demonstrating his absolute power. Instead, Xerxes fearing for his life >> after the naval defeat, fled to Asia leaving behind only part of his >> army, the remaining men commanded by Mardonius, who, the next spring was >> killed with much of the remaining Persian force at the decisive infantry >> battle of Plataia. >> >> The allied navy and its victory at Salamis was the turning point, the >> Persian invasion had been stopped, the west had been saved from Persian >> domination. The coin shown is part of the emergency coinage of the >> Laurion silver used to pay for constructing and manning the Athenians' >> ships. >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >