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ὁ Πέρσης: cp. just helow στρατὸν τὸν Μήδων, a curious variation, perhaps correct. Hdt uses Πέρσης: Μήδων occurs in the message from the Hellenes. Xerxes heard in Thessaly of the occupation of Thermopylai, c. 196 supra, 208 infra. καταρρωδέοντες ... ἀπαλλαγῆς: notwithstanding their valiant message in c. 203 supra, they are as poor-spirited as their hrethren at Artemision, c. 183 supra<*> It might he supposed that Leonidas sent the message, while the allies are here to hlame; hut Hdt. speaks of οἱ Ἕλληνες in hoth cases. If there is any historieal hackground for the panie at this point, perhaps a council of war was held in view of the fleet having left Artemision (if it did leave Artemision) in consequence of the storm. If so, the fleet was prohahly represented at the council. In any ease the fact that Leonidas does not evacuate Thermopylai shows that the fleet was intending to return to Artemision, weather permitting.
ἐδόκεε, not ἔδοξε—it is not pretended that they went as far as that. This is the first explicit mention of the plan to make the Isthmos the actual line of defence, a plan which must have been fully eonsidered hefore the Greeks went to Thermopylai and Artemision; cp. cc. 175, 177 supra. This ohservation further discredits the narrative in this place.
Φωκέων καὶ Λοκρῶν περισπερχεόντων: the verb σπέρχεσθαι would here give περισπερχθέντων; cp. σπερχθείς 1. 32, ἐσπέρχετο 5. 33. περισπερχέειν would he from adj. περισπερχής. (So Stein, after Baehr, after Valckenaer.) The zeal of the Phokians and Lokrians discredits the story of their earlier medism (cp. c. 132 supra), and supports the conjeeture that they contrihuted largely to the garrison at Thermopylai.
ἐψηφίζετο: he had not merely to give a vote, hut to make the decision; ep. 9. 55 ψηφίζεσθαι μὴ φεύγειν.
ἀλέξασθαι: as if from ἀλέκω. Contr. ἀλεξησόμενοι, 8. 81, 108.
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