[Leica] [IMG] Saving the Western World

[imra at iol.ie (Douglas Barry)]

Fascinating, John. You seem to have quite a collection.

Douglas

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Nebel" <john.nebel at csdco.com>
To: "lug >> Leica Users Group" <lug at leica-users.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2015 9:11 PM
Subject: [Leica] [IMG] Saving the Western World


> <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.
>
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