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

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Πιερίην: cp. c. 177 infra. It seems here to equal Μακεδονίς (or nearly), c. 127 supra, the conntry from which the Πίερες (c. 112 supra) had been expelled. Methone, Pydna, Dion were the principal towns (Forbiger, in. 1062). It seems odd that the king should be spending his time in Pieria (under Olympos) when he has just sailed back to Therme. The inconsequence, or hiatus, is fresh evidence that cc. 128-30 are an insertion.

διέτριβε ἡμέρας συχνάς: the Hellenes meanwhile occupied Artemision —Thermopylai, c. 177 infra.

τὸ ... ὄρος τὸ Μακεδονικόν: a rather vague term, which might here cover all the Kambunian range at least, though that is hardly the Makedonian mountain proper (Bermios? 8. 138, or the mountains further up the Haliakmon and the Erigon).

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τῆς στρατιῆς τριτημορίς: the significance of this ‘third’ Hdt. himself does not appear to appreciate, but incidentally he enables us to do so; cp. c. 121 supra.

It is quite absurd to suppose that the whole army (ἅπασα ἡ στρατιή) crossed into Thessaly by one pass, especially if it was an army counted by myriads; it is uncritical to cite this statement as proving that the army must have been a small one, or that only one column penetrated Thessaly and Central Greece. If the tripartition of the forces obtained throughout, as is probable, the three columns doubtless crossed by the three main passes (cp. c. 128 supra) which would all equally lead ἐς Περραιβούς (ibid.), and particularly the Petra and Volustana.

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οὶ δὲ δὴ κήρυκες: cp. c. 32 supra. ἀπίκατο: the pluperfect has little proper temporal force. κεινοί: Stein happily quotes Il. 2. 298 “αἰσχρόν τοι δηρόν τε μένειν κενεόν τε νέεσθαι”.