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

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τὰ ἐκ τῆς Ἐρυθρῆς θαλάσσης. The ‘Erythraean sea’ with Hdt includes all the southern waters, our Red Sea, Persian Gulf, and Indian Ocean: e.g. τὴν νοτίην θάλασσαν τὴν Ἐρυθρὴν καλεομένην, 4. 37 etc. Here the islands intended may be those in the Persian Gulf, a κόλπος θαλάσσης, the distinct existence of which Hdt. nowhere recognizes. The same title occurs in 3. 93, where the islands in question are reckoned, with several other tribes, including the Utians and Mykians (cp. c. 68 supra) to one satrapy (xiv.).

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νήσων δέ: an attributive genitive extracted out of νησιωτικά supra.

τοὺς ἀνασπάστους καλεομένους: cp. 3. 93, where, however, the term is as little explained as here: it evidently represents a technical term in Persian for ‘exiles’ or ‘transported.’ ‘deported’ persons. Whether they are to be conceived as persons individually sentenced to exile, or as whole tribes and populations, torn up and transplanted wholesale, is not quite clear. The word ἀνασπαστός is used by Hdt. in the latter connexion: e.g. 4. 204 of the Barkaians, 5. 12 of the Paionians (cp. 6. 9, more vaguely): but in no such case is the destination the islands here in question, nor does it seem likely that the specific title was given to various tribes planted in various parts of the empire. It remains to take the term here and in 3. 93 of individuals undergoing a definite sentence of exile, or insular internment (such as was not uncommon under the Roman Caesars). Ktesias § 40 supplies an illustration in the case of Megabyzos, who ἀνάσπαστος δὲ γίνεται εἰς τὴν ἐρυθρὰν ἔν τινι πόλει ὀνόματι Κύρται. (At the same time one of the eunuchs was banished to Armenia.)

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εἶχον: the plural verb with the neuter plural subject (ἔθνεα) is unusual in Hdt., but is here softened by the personal nature of the subject. Cp. Thuc. 4. 88. 1 “τὰ τέλη ... αὐτὸν ἐξέπεμψαν”.

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Μαρδόντης ὁ Βαγαίου, ὃς ἐν Μυκάλῃ κτλ. reappears in 8. 130 with his patronymic as one of the admirals for 479 B.C.: he fell at Mykale, as reported here, and again in 9. 102. It is curious, perhaps, that these islanders should be reckoned here in the armylist, while their commander reappears in the next year (δευτέρῳ ἔτει τούτων） after, as an admiral of the fleet. A Bagaios, son of Artontes, appears (3. 128) as one of the most faithful servants of Dareios, in the suppression of the rebel Oroites, and may no doubt be here recognised. The names Mardontes, Mardonios, Madres, Badres, Bardes, Bardyia (Smerdis) appear to be connected with one another and with Μάρδος, one of the Persian clans, 1. 125.