Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2015/05/20
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]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