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The 300 and SalamisThe week to 5 October 480 BCIssue the Fifth

Allied fleet routs the king’s ships in the strait of Salamis

Reconstructed from historical sources

The allied fleet has routed the king’s ships in the strait of Salamis, and this morning, finding the Persian fleet gone from Phalerum, the allies set out after it.

An aerial photograph of the strait of Salamis, the narrow water between the island of Salamis and the Attic shore, now lined with a modern town and shipping.
An aerial photograph of the strait of Salamis, the narrow water between the island of Salamis and the Attic shore, now lined with a modern town and shipping.Photograph by Photograph by Jona Lendering (Livius.org, via Wikimedia Commons) · CC0

SALAMIS.—The allied fleet has fought the king’s fleet in the strait of Salamis and broken it: his ships fell into disorder in the narrows and fled, and many were sunk. This morning, finding the king’s ships gone from Phalerum, the allies set out after them.

The king had sent his Egyptian ships to close the strait between Salamis and the Megarian shore, and the main body of his fleet against Salamis. His ships were drawn up by peoples, so that men of one tongue who knew one another might help each other, with the Phoenicians on his right wing and the Greeks of the king’s side on his left.

On the allied side the Athenians faced the Phoenicians, while the Aeginetans and Megarians, the best seamen after the Athenians, held the right.

On, you men of Hellas! Free your native landThe cry from the allied ships

The king himself sat beneath the mountain called Aegaleos, across the water from Salamis, to watch.

As the allies were putting out, the king’s ships came at them. An Athenian, Ameinias of Pallene, charged and rammed one; when his ship was caught fast, the others came to his help, and the battle was joined.

A loud shout went up from the allied ships as they pulled in: “On, you men of Hellas! Free your native land.” And then: “Now you are fighting for all you have.”

On the open water the king’s line had held, but in the narrows ships had to be drawn out of it, and disorder followed. His ships halted and began to back water to find room, and the Athenians, seeing it, drove in with their rams, shearing off banks of oars. Ships that could no longer row turned side-on, were holed again and again, and fled headlong.

Most of the sinkings came as the ships in front turned to flee and those behind, pressing forward to show the king some feat, ran foul of their own side.

Ariabignes son of Darius, the king’s own brother and one of his generals, is among the dead. Few Greeks were lost, since they know how to swim, but many of the king’s men drowned.

Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, book 11, tr. C. H. Oldfather (Loeb, 1946) · Herodotus, Histories, book 8, tr. A. D. Godley (Loeb, 1920; modernised by Perseus) · Aeschylus, Persians, tr. H. W. Smyth (Loeb, 1926) · Herodotus, Histories, book 8, tr. A. D. Godley (Loeb, 1920; modernised by Perseus).

Word in the night: the king’s ships had closed the strait

Reconstructed from historical sources

Marble archer in close-fitting eastern dress and cap, the Trojan prince Paris, from the west gable of the temple of Aphaia on Aegina, c. 505-500 BC. A modern museum photograph. Glyptothek, Munich.
Marble archer in close-fitting eastern dress and cap, the Trojan prince Paris, from the west gable of the temple of Aphaia on Aegina, c. 505-500 BC. A modern museum photograph. Glyptothek, Munich.Photograph by Aeginetan sculptor; photograph by Bibi Saint-Pol (Wikimedia Commons) · Public domain (released by the photographer)

SALAMIS.—The allied fleet went into battle knowing there was no way out: in the night Aristides had crossed from Aegina past the enemy’s ships with word that the strait was closed.

Even after the decision to stay, men heard of the labour at the Isthmus and feared for the Peloponnese, and muttered to their neighbours at Eurybiades’ folly until it came into the open.

Some said they must sail for the Peloponnese rather than fight for a land already taken; the Athenians, Aeginetans and Megarians said they must stay and defend themselves.

On all occasions and especially now our contention must be over which of us will do our country more goodAristides son of Lysimachus, to Themistocles

That night Aristides son of Lysimachus, an Athenian lately recalled from ostracism, called Themistocles out of the gathering of the generals, though the two are bitter enemies.

Aristides told him: “On all occasions and especially now our contention must be over which of us will do our country more good.”

He had seen with his own eyes, he said, that the Corinthians and Eurybiades could not escape now even if they wished to sail. “We are encircled by the enemy. Go in and indicate this to them.”

Aristides went in and told the generals he had barely made it past the blockade; most of them did not believe him.

While they still doubted, a trireme of Tenian deserters under Panaetius son of Sosimenes came over and brought them the whole truth.

As dawn glimmered the fighting men were called together, and Themistocles gave the best of the speeches before ordering them aboard.

Herodotus, Histories, book 8, tr. A. D. Godley (Loeb, 1920; modernised by Perseus) · Herodotus, Histories, book 8, tr. A. D. Godley (Loeb, 1920; modernised by Perseus).

King’s fleet gone from Phalerum; the allies give chase

Reconstructed from historical sources

SALAMIS.—The allied fleet has put out after the king’s ships, which were found this morning to be gone from Phalerum.

At daybreak the allies saw the king’s army still where it had been and, supposing his ships too lay at Phalerum, made ready to defend themselves. When they learned the ships were gone, they resolved at once to go after them.

When the battle was broken off, the allies towed to Salamis as many of the wrecks as were still there and kept ready for another battle, reckoning that the king could still use the ships he had left.

The king, for his part, set about building a causeway across to Salamis, joining Phoenician cargo ships together to serve as both bridge and wall, and made ready as if to fight again at sea.

All who watched him at the work believed he fully meant to stay and fight there.

His army is still in Attica.

Herodotus, Histories, book 8, tr. A. D. Godley (Loeb, 1920; modernised by Perseus).

In Brief

Aristides’ men clear the Persians from Psyttaleia

PSYTTALEIA.—Every Persian on Psyttaleia, the islet that lies between Salamis and the mainland, is dead. While the ships fought, Aristides took many of the armed men drawn up along the shore of Salamis and brought them across to the islet, where the Persians had put men ashore. He landed them there, and they killed all the Persians on it.

Herodotus, Histories, book 8, tr. A. D. Godley (Loeb, 1920; modernised by Perseus).

Sun darkens at the Isthmus; Cleombrotus leads his army away

THE ISTHMUS OF CORINTH.—Cleombrotus has led the Peloponnesian army away from the Isthmus. He was offering sacrifice there for victory over the Persian when the sun was darkened in the sky. His is the army that had been walling the Isthmus against the king.

Herodotus, Histories, book 9, tr. A. D. Godley (Loeb, 1920; modernised by Perseus).

Earthquake before the battle; sons of Aeacus summoned

SALAMIS.—At sunrise on the day before the battle the earth shook, on land and at sea. The Greeks resolved to pray to the gods and to summon the sons of Aeacus as allies. They called on Ajax and Telamon to come to them straight from Salamis, and sent a ship to Aegina for Aeacus and his other sons.

Herodotus, Histories, book 8, tr. A. D. Godley (Loeb, 1920; modernised by Perseus).

A tale of a woman’s figure over the fleet

SALAMIS.—A tale goes round that as the ships went in, the figure of a woman appeared and cried out loud enough for the whole allied fleet to hear. She reproached them first: “Men possessed, how long will you still be backing water?”

Herodotus, Histories, book 8, tr. A. D. Godley (Loeb, 1920; modernised by Perseus).

Aristodemus home in disgrace at Sparta

SPARTA.—Aristodemus, one of the three hundred, who lay sick at Alpeni when the pass fell, has come home to Lacedaemon and is in disgrace. No Spartan will give him fire or speak with him, and they call him “Aristodemus the Trembler”. Another of the three hundred, Pantites, also survived the pass: he had been sent as a messenger to Thessaly.

Herodotus, Histories, book 7, tr. A. D. Godley (Loeb, 1920; modernised by Perseus).

Start The 300 and Salamis from issue one tomorrow

Wayback Wire · No. 5 · The week to 5 October 480 BC