07-25-2006, 07:11 PM
Herodotus makes this admission only as far as whether Leonidas himself sent the allies away, according to his speculation, due to some oracle, or if they left on their own. It has little impact on the story. Herodotus often takes pains to clarify when he is speculating, I don't know myself of any reason why he would simply make things up without saying so.
The fact that no Greeks survived the battle doesn't bother me so much, as H. clearly has some insight to happenings from the Persian camp such as Xerxes conversations with Demaratus, and the mistreatment of Leonidas' body.
It is of course a giant mystery where exactly H. get's his info, but I ran across this little blurb that made me take notice in 7.239
The fact that no Greeks survived the battle doesn't bother me so much, as H. clearly has some insight to happenings from the Persian camp such as Xerxes conversations with Demaratus, and the mistreatment of Leonidas' body.
It is of course a giant mystery where exactly H. get's his info, but I ran across this little blurb that made me take notice in 7.239
Quote:CCXXXIX. I return now to that place in my history where it earlier left off.1 The Lacedaemonians were the first to be informed that the king was equipping himself to attack Hellas; with this knowledge it was that they sent to the oracle at Delphi, where they received the answer about which I spoke a little while ago. Now the way in which they were informed of this was strange. [2] Demaratus son of Ariston, an exile among the Medes, was, as I suppose (reason being also my ally), no friend to the Lacedaemonians, and I leave it to be imagined whether what he did was done out of goodwill or spiteful triumph."reason being also my ally" seems like it should be a clue when exactly H. was writing this. What does he mean by this exactly? Does he know Demaratus personally? or is Herodotus allied to the Medes? I can't read Greek so someone who can might clarify this to me.
Rich Marinaccio
