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Book VII Content
Book seven starts with Darius amassing a vast army in order to attack Greece after learning about his defeat at Marathon.
We then learn of a quarrel between two of Darius’ sons over who should succeed him, Xerxes wins and after Darius’ death, in 486 BC, becomes king
Xerxes sends an army against the Egyptian rebels and defeats them.
Xerxes is persuaded by Mardonius to invade Greece, but Artabanus attempts to persuade him that it’s not a good idea, which angers Xerxes.
Xerxes has 2 dreams featuring a phantom that first persuades him to stop the war against Greece then makes him change his mind again.
Preparations for the invasion are made.
Xerxes has a canal dug to shorten the rout his fleet would take and also to turn the inhabitants of Athos into islanders.
Xerxes marches at the head of his army to Greece
Xerxes is entertained by Pythius, a Lydian, in c.480 BC, who offers to give Xerxes all his money. An offer that Xerxes refuses and instead gives him 7000 gold Darics as a reward for his generosity. Xerxes later cuts Pythius’ eldest son in half and marches his army away between the two halves.
In Sardis Xerxes sent representatives to every Greek state, except Athens and Sparta, with a demand for earth and water, and for them to prepare entertainment for him when he arrives in each state.
At Abydos two bridges were built across the Hellespont, one by the Egyptians and the other by the Phoenicians, these bridges are destroyed by a storm and are rebuilt after Xerxes, in his anger, 'punished' the Hellespont.
Many Greek states medize; Thessaly, Thebes (suspected only though), Melians.
Oracle says a 'wooden wall' will save Athens - Themistocles deduces that this means the Athenian fleet.
Greeks peoples unite however Argos medized; Gelon of Syracuse (Sicily) refuses to help unless he can lead at least part of the army, the Spartans bluntly refuse, hence Gelon does not help; Corcyra dissembles, Crete refuses.
The Greeks decide to send suicide troops to Thermopylae to delay the Persian advance; the pass is very narrow and boardered by the sea so a relatively small force can delay the immense Persian force (ostensibly 5.6m+)
A storm wrecks 400 Persian ships, this helps to Greeks to defeat them later at Salamis.
Battle of Thermopylae 480 BC c.6000 Greeks fight, commanded by Leonidas, the King of Sparta. The Greeks hold the pass for 3 days but are eventually defeated when Ephialtes betrayed the Greeks and told Xerxes of the secret pass; Hydarnes leads forces around the mountains to encircle the Greeks.
Leonidas sends aways all the Greeks who were fighting at Thermopylae with the exception of the Spartans and Thebans (who were apparently suspected of having Persian sympathies although this is highly unlikely, the Thespians also stayed.
Leonidas is killed and a struggle over his body ensues.
Xerxes ordered that Leonidas' head should be cut off and fixed on a stake.
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