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

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ἔχει δὲ ὧδε: sc. ἐστί τοιαύτη τις. The present is no doubt valid for Hdt.'s, as for our own time. The variant in Pausan. 10. 22. 8 (to which Stein draws attention) is of the utmost importance for a full appreciation of the strategic problem at Thermopylai, and serves to mark a grave omission in the Herodotean narrative; but it is not certain that Hdt. and Pausanias are in full contradiction to each other. Hydarnes may have started by the path διὰ τῆς Αἰνιάνων (Pausan.) and come down by Ἀνόπαια (Hdt.). Hdt. takes the Persians up the Asopos-gorge apparently, through which there was a route (see next note); they may have reached the crest, or rather the high valley, not διὰ Τρηχῖνος, but by an easier path further to the west (ἡ διὰ τῆς Αἰνιάνων ὁδεῦσαι στρατῷ ρ<*>ᾴων Paus.). striking into the other on the high ground, behind the Trachinian cliffs. Whether there was any further strategic reason for this detour is a nice problem; cp. Appendix V.

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τῆς διασφάγος: cp. c. 199. There was a route, no doubt, by the Asopos gorge, between Doris or the upper Kephisos valley on the one hand, and Malis or the plain of the Spercheios on the other. Pausanias l.c. calls it ἡ ὑπὲρ Τραχῖνος, and describes it as ἀπότομός τε τὰ πλείω καὶ ὄρθιος δεινῶς (from the Trachinian or Malian side); it may be identified, perhaps, with ἡ διὰ Τρηχῖνος ἔσοδος, c. 176 supra, but see notes there; cp. also 8. 31 infra. The path through the gorge would unite, on the upper ground, with the path διὰ τῆς Αἰνιάνων on the one side, and with the path going east behind the ridge of Kallidromos on the other, i.e. Ἀνόπαια. It is not, however, quite clear in this passage whether Hdt. understands the first part of the ascent to have been made by the Persians διὰ τῆς διασφάγος, or otherwise. The path Anopaia might begin from the head waters of the Asopos; but cp. next note.

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Ἀνόπαια: cp. Od. 1. 320 “ὄρνις δ᾽ ὢς ἀνοπαῖα διέπτατο” (v.l. ἀνέπτατο), sc. γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη. The grammarian in Anec. Ox. 1. 83 has an attractive mterpretation ἀν᾽ ὀπαῖα=άνὰ ὀπήν, ‘up by the hole in the roof’—a charming description of the path taken by the Persians at any rate (in this country it would no doubt be a ‘devil's chimney’). That the same name is given to the path (in the valley) and to the mountain seems doubtful; Hdt. has not got the name Καλλίδρομος. He also appears to think that the path goes by, along or over, the long ridge of the mountain: that is not the case; the path goes round behind the chief ridge (passing, no doubt, several lower or ancillary ridges en route).

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λήγει δὲ κατά τε Ἀλπηνὸν πόλιν. Alpenos is a κώμη in c. 176, as also plural, there and in c. 229 (passages from other and southern sources?). The position of Alpenos is explained c. 176 supra. This sentence λήγει δὲ ... Μηλιέων ought to come after ἕδρας.

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Μελάμπυγόν τε καλεόμενον λίθον. Μελάμπυγος is an epithet of Herakles, denotative of strength, but lending itself easily to comic purposes: Aristophanes, Lysistr. 801-4. On the association of Herakles with the district cp. c. 176, notes.

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Κερκώπων ἕδρας. κέρκος is the tail of a beast: these ‘tail-bearers’ are comic personages associated with Herakles. (Connaissez-vous les deux freres Cercopes, monsieur Goubin? says M. Bergeret, and proceeds to tell the story: Anatole France, L'Anneau d'Améthyste, <*> 143-6. It can also be read in <*> er (K. O.), Dorians, E.T. i. 464, quoted in extenso by Rawlinson ad l.）

The exact sites of the ‘stone’ and the ‘seats’ have still to be identified; they were, presumably, some where near Alpenos, on the path in question: perhaps the very rock which formed the east gate of the pass.

τῇ καὶ τὸ στεινότατον ἐστί. These words apply, apparently with perfect accuracy, to the Eastern Gate of the pass, as it was in Hdt.'s time; but nevertheless, for reasons given in the notes to c. 176, this part of the pass was practically indefensible, at least without enormous numbers of men. Any one, however, in possession of it could command the Middle Gate on the east side. There is, and no doubt was, a path diverging from the ‘Anopaia’ (about the site of the modern Drakospilia) which led direct down on the Middle Gate: Hdt. does not seem to be aware of that fact.