Book 7: Herodotus’ Histories.
Answers due October 17.
Limestone statue of warrior, found in Sparta (5th cntury
BCE)
Generally called “Leonidas,” Spartan king and
hero of Thermopylae.
0. Why did Darius not himself punish the Athenians for their defeat of
the Persian army at Marathon? 7.1-4
1. What role does Herodotus say that the Aleuadae, the Pisistratids,
and Onomacritus have in persuading Xerxes to attack Athens? What role did
Mardonius play? What is a “satrap”? 7. 6
2. What are Artabanus’ two main arguments against Xerxes’ plan to invade
Greece, and what was Xerxes’ reaction? 7.10-11
3. Why did Artabanus sleep in Xerxes’ bed, in Xerxes’ pajamas? What was
the result? 7.11-18
4. What is Herodotus’ opinion of the relative size of Xerxes’ army sent
against Greece? To what three other expeditions does he compare its size?
7.20-21
5. Why did Xerxes order a canal to cut the isthmus of Athos? Why does
Herodotus think he did it? 7.22-24
6. Why — and how — did Xerxes punish the Hellespont and his original
bridge makers? What does Herodotus think of these actions? 7.33-36
7. How does Xerxes treat Pythius when he first meets him? 7.26-29 How
does this compare to how he treats him and his family later? 7.37-40. What
kind of picture of the Persian king does this contrast create?
8. What did Xerxes do at Troy, and what happened to his forces there?
7. 43
9. Why does Xerxes cry when looking on his mighty army? Why does Artabanus
fear about the outcome of the expedition? How does Xerxes deal with Artabanus?
7.44-52
10. How long did it take Xerxes’ forces to march across the Hellespont
bridge? To whom does an onlooker compare Xerxes? What is the point of this
comparison? 7. 54-56
11. What does Demaratus say that causes Xerxes to laugh? What does the
king’s incredulity and reaction to Demaratus say about barbarian understanding
of Greeks? 7.101-105
12. How does Demaratus describe the Spartans to Xerxes? How do they contrast
with Persians? 7. 102-104
13. What does Herodotus have to say about the outlet of the Thessalian
basin between Mt. Pelium and Mt. Ossa? What does this tell us concerning
his ideas about religion and science? 7.128-29
14. What unpopular opinion does Herodotus feel the need to express about
the Persian Wars, that he thought would “offend a great many people?”
Why do you think he makes this statement? Why do you think it was unpopular?
7. 139
15. What do the oracles of Delphi seem to portend for the Athenians in
their struggle against the Persians? Why do you think the oracle had such
an attitude? 7.140-143
16. What was Themistocles’ interpretation of the oracles? What wise advice
had he earlier given to the Athenians? 7.143-144
17. Why did the Argives remain neutral in the Persian conflict? What
does Herodotus say about his obligation as an historian? 7.148-152
19.
Why is Thermopylae so named? What is it like physically? 7.176, and note,
page 708
20. What oracle did the Delphians (and Athenians) get when they asked
what to do about the Persian threat? How was this related to the battle
at Artemisium? 7.178
21. What sacrifice did the Persians make near Skyathos, and why? 7.180
22. How many total combatants does Herodotus say the Xerxes brought with
him into Greece? What was the grand total, if one added the camp followers,
and support people? How does Herodotus compliment Xerxes in light of these
tremendous numbers? 7.184-187
23. Why did the winds die down after so much of the Persian fleet was
destroyed at Artemisium? How does Herodotus show his rationalism in this
description? 7.188-189
24. How many generations removed from Heracles was the Spartan king Leonidas?
Why do you think that Herodotus gives his full genealogy here? 7.202-206
25. Why did Leonidas make sure to bring Thebans with him to Thermopylae,
according to Herodotus? What does the verb “to Medize” mean? 7.205,
and note, p. 709
26. What did Xerxes think about the Spartans who were combing their hair
so carefully at Thermopylae? Why did he not believe Damaratus’ explanation
of their action? 7.208-210
27. Why did Xerxes welcome the help of the Malian man Ephialtes? What
motivated Ephialtes? How did he die? 7. 213-215
28. How were the Persians able to outflank the Spartans at Thermopylae?
7.213-218
29. What three things gave the Greeks at Thermopylae notice that their
doom was upon them? 7.219
30. Why does Herodotus think that Leonidas sent the non-Spartan troops
away before the final battle at Thermopylae? 7.220-221
31. What is the witticism of Dieneces the Spartan as relates to the Persians?
7.226
32. Why did Xerxes spare the Thebans after the battle of Thermopylae?
7. 233
33. Xerxes is clearly impressed by the Spartans at Thermopylae, and asks
Demaratus the Spartan his advice on how to defeat them. What advice does
Demaratus give the king? Does Xerxes take this advice? Why or why not? 7.234-237
34. What is remarkable about the way Xerxes treated Leonidas’ corpse?
7.238
35. How did Demaratus send a secret message to Sparta about Xerxes’ plans
to invade Greece? And who was the only one who could figure out the message?
How had this clever Spartan earlier shown great wisdom? 7.239; 5.51
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