Reginald Walter Macan, Herodotus, The Seventh, Eighth, & Ninth Books with Introduction and Commentary

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αὐτοῦ: local (Sitzler). Were the ships drawn up on land as at Doriskos? Apparently (ἐστρατοπεδεύετο).

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Ξέρξης δὲ καὶ ὁ πεζὸς στρατός. Hdt. apparently conceives the advance in three divisions, which he predicates for the stage from Doriskos to Akanthos, now abandoned, and the forces on land all advancing with the king on a single route. This conception is in itself absurd, and it conflicts with the topographical indications appended. The route is described as lying through Paionike and Krestonike to the river Cheidoros (and then apparently down the latter to its exit in the bay of Therme). Παιονική is presumably the eountry immediately west of the Strymon (cp. 5. 12-16). Κρηστονική is not very clearly located in Hdt. (8. 116, 5. 3, 5), but is apparently next or near Paionia, and, as this passage would show, west of Paionia and on the Cheidoros. This agrees well enough with Thucyd. 2. 99. 6 “τόν τε Ἀνθεμοῦντα καὶ Γρηστωνίαν καὶ Βισαλτίαν”, and 2. 100. 4 “τήν τε Μυγδονίαν καὶ Γρηστωνίαν καὶ Ἀνθεμοῦντα” (cp. also 4. 109. 4 “Βισαλτικὸν καὶ Κρηστωνικὸν καὶ Ἠδῶνες”). Hekataios had mentioned Κρηστῶνες in his Europe: Steph. B. s.v. Κρηστών. (Hdt. 1. 57, as emended, is not to the point.)

The Χείδωρος (or Ἐχείδωρος) is mentioned by Skylax, Peripl. 66, as between the Axios and Therme, and by Ptolemy 3. 13, 14 as between Thessalonike and the Axios; it is therefore identified with the Gallike: Leake, N. Gr. iii. 439; Tozer, i. 386.

The route thus indicated is entirely different from the route expressly recorded by Hdt. between the Strymon and Therme; or rather is confounded with it in his narrative.

The route through Krestonike is probably identical with the route from Lake Prasias over Mount Dysoros into Makedonia, described in 5. 17 (which may represent later knowledge than this passage).

It is inconceivable that Xerxes, having reached Akanthos, cut inland to Lake Prasias, crossed Dysoros, and descended upon the Echeidoros; but it is more than probable that one of the army columns pursued this route from the Strymon to the Axios.

Xerxes himself may have gone down to Akanthos to view the canal, and then returned to Argilos (cp. c. 115 supra） and crossed Chalkidike, with a corps d'armée, by the direct route via Lake Boibe.

The third corps may have gone by a coast route from Akanthos via Sane, Assera, Mekyberna, Olynthos, perhaps Aineia, to Therme, unless indeed it was on ship-board.

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τὸ ἕλος τὸ ἐπ᾽ Ἀξίῳ ποταμῷ is a genuine trait, no doubt; but not beyond the possibilities of report or tradition. On the unhealthiness of the neighbourhood cp. Tozer, i. 151.