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

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Ἀριστείδης ... Ἀθηναῖος: cp. c. 79 supra. To have the full description of the man repeated totidem verbis within a few pages, together with the express and unusually explicit reference back (τοῦ . . ἀρίστου), creates a problem in regard to Hdt.'s composition. It can hardly be that the two passages belong to one and the same draft of the Book, and were written in einem Flug. This passage may belong to the first draft, that to the second; in which case the back reference was inserted, apologetically, without sacrificing the ‘patronymic’ and ‘ethnic,’ which serve to emphasize the deed of Aristeides. Was Aristeides in command of all the Athenian hoplites on shore (amounting to some thousands), while Themistokles was in command of the fleet?

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τάδε ἐποίεε. There are three accounts of the exploit, more or less differing from each other, but substantially reconcilable: (i.) Aischylos (Persae 447 ff.) places the affair late in the day apparently, when the enemy's fleet has been beaten, and there is nothing to prevent the Greeks surrounding the island with their own ships (Blakesley). It is not, however, correct to say that Aischylos represents the assault as made by the actual crews of the vessels (Rawlinson); and it is only fair to observe that in Aischylos Xerxes is still looking on. (ii.) Herodotus places the exploit late in his narrative (perhaps in conformity with Aischylos), but apparently dates the affair earlier on the day of battle (ἐν τῷ θορύβῳ τούτῳ κτλ.: cp. c. 91 supra). He does not explain how Aristeides got his men on to the island: boats may be supposed. A happy thought apparently occurs to Aristeides while the battle is raging, and he executes it instanter. (iii.) Plutarch, Aristeid. 9, of course, goes further. Aristeides observes that the island is strongly occupied: puts picked volunteers in boats, destroys all the Persians, except a few (whom he sends to Themistokles, three nephews of the king included, who were immolated ὠμηστῇ Διονύσῳ), and occupies the whole shore of the island with troops in order to assist the men of the fleet in destroying the enemy. Yet Plutarch may be substantially right.

The occupation of Psyttaleia by the Persians on this occasion proved as great a tactical blunder as the occupation of Sphakteria by the Spartans in 425 B. C., and for the same reason, that the occupants of the island were involved in the fate of the fleet. But there was more excuse for the Persian. The naval superiority of the Greeks was not a foregone conclusion, and the occupation of Psyttaleia probably had as its ultimate object a landing on Salamis, and an assault upon the Greek forces in the island. This aspect of the case makes it not improbable that the Athenian attack on the island should be placed ἐν τῷ θορύβῳτούτῳ with Hdt., with Plutarch, and even possibly with Aischylos: it was not a mere afterthought, or sequel of the battle, but an essential part of it, concerted, in all probability, between Themistokles and Aristeides. The Athenian hoplites remembered Marathon: not a few of them had even fought there.

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τῶν ὁπλιτέων οἳ παρατετάχατο: he did not denude Salamis of its defenders. The παράταξις shows that the generals perfectly understood the situation: just at that point, where the Greek right wing was posted, a success, even temporary, on the part of the Persians, would have led to an attempt to land from Psyttaleia upon Salamis (Kynosura), from which it would have been difficult to dislodge the enemy.

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τὴν ἀκτὴν τῆς Σαλαμινίης χώρης may refer primarily to Keos = Kynosura, but need scarcely be confined to that promontory. If Aristeides was in command (στρατηγὸς ἐπὶ τὰ ὅπλα) he wonld naturally have been on the right in this immediate neighbourhood.

γένος ἐόντες Ἀθηναῖοι: this particularity is remarkable: were his volunteers primarily the Salaminian οἰκήτορες?

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Ψυττάλειαν: c. 76 supra. According to Steph. Byz. the island was named from Ψύτταλος: but what of him?

ἀπέβησε ἄγων: he headed the landing-party. ἀπέβ. is trans. The last sentence of the chapter denies the sacrifice, the story of which is preserved by Plutarch; see above.