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Θεσπιέες δὲ καὶ Θηβαῖοι . . μοῦνοι. Diodoros 11. 4. 7 gives Leonidas ‘about 400’ Thebans, ἀπὸ τῆς ὲτέρας μερίδος: διεφέροντο γὰρ οἱ τὰς Θήβας κατοικοῦντες πρὸς ἀλλήλους περὶ τῆς πρὸς τοὺς Πέρσας συμμαχίας. This politic division probably comes from Thucyd. 3. 62. 3 f. (Thebano loq.). The Theban contingent is dismissed with all the others (except the Thespians). Pausan. 2. 16. 4 is quoted (by Stein) to prove that the Mykenaians also remained; but the words of Pausanias (Μυκηναῖοι πέμπουσιν ἐς Θερμοπύλας ὀγδοήκοντα ἄνδρας, οἲ Λακεδαιμονίοις μετέσχον τοῦ ἔργου) do not require us to believe that the men of Mykenai fell with the 300. Hdt. here speaks of Λακεδαιμόνιοι. It may be that Leonidas retained all the men of Lakedaimon, Spartiates, Perioikoi, and Helots alike, or that the word is here used (not incorrectly, but less precisely) instead of the Σπαρτιητέων of c. 220.
Θηβαῖοι μὲν ... ποιεύμενος: this absurd statement is sufficiently refuted by Plutarch, Mor. 865, except that the Greek critic is too hasty in ascribing to Hdt. himself the κακοήθεια which undoubtedly belongs to Hdt.'s sources (cp. c. 233 infra). Hdt., however, has shown himself even less of a critic than usual to adopt the scandal as his own. Cp. Introduction, § 11.
ἐν ὁμήρων λόγῳ ποιεύμενος: cp. cc. 14, 57. The name of the Theban commander is here omitted; but cp. cc. 205, 233.
Θεσπιέες ... συναπέθανον: Rawlinson, accepting the fact, shows a curious wisdom in saying: “The Thespians were perhaps excited ... by the hope of becoming ... the head of the Boeotian confederacy.” What <*> the 700, from little Thespiai, who remained to die? If so, they were nicely fooled! But if 700 men of Thespiai remained with Leonidas, and died side by side with the 300 Spartans, history and poetry ever since have failed in their duty to these heroes of the city of Eros. However deeply Hdt. has drunk, directly and indirectly, of Spartan sources, however partial the legend of Thermopylai to the gallant leader and his guard, these Thespians could not be such mere ghosts and supers on the stage of Thermopylai had their action and their fate been such as Hdt. here records in a parenthesis. The reconstructed story of Thermopylai must take account of this consideration: cp. Appendix V. § 5. Diodoros gives no Thespians in the army-list (11. 4. 7), but afterwards mentions that Leonidas retained the Thespians with him, an act which only raises his total force to 500 (11. 9. 2).
Δημόφιλος Διαδρόμεω: a common name, and with an Athenian ring in it. (Of the ten men or so known seven are Athenians: Pape-Benseler, s.v.) The father's name is more uncommon, but hardly more aristocratic. The notice is from tomb, or epigram.
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