"Thermopylae: The Battle That Changed the World"

[Jona Lendering]

You insist that there were no surviving witinesses to the battle, but there are many on the persian side in addition to the Thebans. Many of them will yet die, but a few might have actually written down their experience, and many more will have told stories.

The problem is that Herodotus has probably not interviewed Theban survivors of Thermopylae. He now tells that the Thebans were traitors, who were at the Hot Gates against their intention, almost as hostages. This is, as Plutarch already pointed out, unfair, and it is generally assumed that Herodotus did not use a Theban source.

Interviewing Persians was impossible; the only sign of a Persian informer is an error (Anauša, "Immortals", for Anûšiya, "Companions"). Herodotus introduces the story about Xerxes jumping up from a chair (which betrays his effiminacy and ought to be suspect anyhow) with "they say", usually a sign that he takes some distance from what is said.

Which leaves the liaison officer who connected Thermopylae with Artemisium. He may indeed have been the source for Herodotus' story about what went on in Leonidas' mind. But then I wonder why Herodotus weakens his story by not naming this valuable source.

In my view, it remains a puzzle.