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Μαρδόνιος δέ, corresponding with οἳ μέν in the preceding sentence, the last of Bk. 8. There is not merely no material break between Bks. 8 and 9, but not even a formal or grammatical division. ἀπονοστέειν, 8. 38 etc. τὰ παρ᾽ Ἀθηναίων, ‘the Athenian answer.’ an ellipse of ἔπη or λεχθέντα: cp. Thuc. 8. 48. 3 “τὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἀλκιβιάδου”.
ὁρμηθείς, of a physical act; cp. ὄρμα 8. 106. ἐκ Θεσσαλίης: that Mardonios wintered in Thessaly seems a fairly well-established fact (cp. 8. 113 f., 131), but does not involve the supposition that he abandoned all hold on Central Greece: were not the Makedonian garrisons, perhaps, in occupation of Boiotia throughout the winter? Cp. 8. 34.
ὅκου ... παρελάμβανε: for the constr. cp. 8. 115. The statement prepares us for the estimate in c. 32 infra of 50,000 Greeks under arms in the forces of Mardonios. Diodor. 11. 28 raises the figure to 500,000 by levies on Thrakians, Makedonians and Greeks! Cp. Appendix VIII. § 2 (iv.).
τοῖσι ... Θεσσαλίης ἡγεομένοισι: the Aleuadai, cp. 7. 6, 130, their chief man being Thorax of Larisa, named just below. The victory of Salamis had apparently done little to convince the Thessalian cavaliers that the Greek was the winning side. Stein observes that Hdt. sees in the Aleuadai the most active promoters of the war, and is glad to emphasize their guilt (cp. 7. 130, 172). παρῆκε here in particular involves a gross exaggeration: the roads and passes were not in the hands of Thorax; Thermopylai, for example, was doubtless held by a Persian force; and so on. Demaratos and the Athenian exiles cut no figures in the camp of Mardonios: have they retired in the king's suite?
Θώρηξ is named again in c. 58 infra with his brethren; before the end of the sixth century he had given a commission to Pindar. evidence of which we have in the poet's earliest extant work (Pyth. 10, anno 502 B.C.), in which also Thorax is named (1. 64). Thoiax may have been Tagos of Thessaly: whether the Skopadai (cp. 6. 127) were acquiescent or co-operating is not quite clear; cp. 7. 172.
φεύγοντα: Xerxes' νόστος is a φυγή; cp. 8. 97, 103, 115, 120.
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