Salamis

[Jona Lendering]

Sometimes, the easiest questions are the hardest to answer. At least, I don't know the answer to this simple question: why didn't the Persians land on Salamis? This island is pretty large and the Greeks did not venture out into the open waters; ferrying the army that had been victorious at Thermopylae from, say, Megara to the island, and attack the Greek navy by land sounds -in my view- a reasonably safe tactic. What do I miss?

[Eleatic Guest]

Probably too complicated a maneuver to embark directly under the eyes of the enemy. The organizational effort for such an undertaking must have been immense. Just 6-12 hours without drinking water on the isle and the whole army would have been debilitated.

Remember that Marathon was the first (known) amphibious attack in history and thus immensely risky. If the Greeks had been a little closer to the landing ships, they may well have thrown the Persian into the sea before the landing could have taken place.

Btw Greek marines successfully landed on some smaller island between Attica and Salamis, killing off all Persian survivors.

[hoplite14gr]

Jona
I think yo umiss the first night in Artemisio. Cilicians (armed and trained like Greeks - good marines too) were wiped out in a night raid.
Phoinicians were reliable but the high king would probably not risk them. The same would apply to Lycians. The rest of the conscripted fleet was suspect.
Remeber the writngs inciting mutiny that Themistokles had left?.

It was a complex manuver that also carried the risk of a flank attack from the Greek fleet nearby. The Artemision fight were not very encouraging to the High King. There only two place where you can land in Salamis: Aianteio that was a fortified town and probalby Athenians had fortified the other approach (Pefkakia the modern tourist area).

There Atheninan and Megarean hoplites at Kynosargres and Tripodiskos. An uniklely threat but still a threat. Persian raiding parties in Megaris had been defeated.

Do not understimate the traumatic battle shock of Thermopylae with its horrific casualty rate. They wouldn't be happy to fight head on formed hoplites without some way to by pass them and encricle them. Landing parties could be defeated piece meal as they were landing.

Kind regards

[Jona Lendering]

There only two place where you can land in Salamis: Aianteio that was a fortified town and probalby Athenians had fortified the other approach (Pefkakia the modern tourist area).

Very good point, which settles the case convincingly.

Do not understimate the traumatic battle shock of Thermopylae with its horrific casualty rate.

I have some doubts about Herodotus' story, actually; but that's a different debate.