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VIII.
I27
WHEELER,
OF CALIFORNIA.
I28
[I902
Vol. xxxiii.]
129
130
[I902
I3I
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Kvvo'o-ovpav TeTay/LJevot,
xaTer%ov
T'fl?
ToZ 7Vop9f,loP
VXVCr.
Te /1%pI MouvVX611
adzrza
132
[I902
4I2).
I33
I34
[1902
Vol. xxxiii.]
I35
I36
[1902
rowerposition,interfered
witheach other,rakingone another's
oars, and making themselvesan easy prey. The position of
the Greeks forced the Persians into narrowerquarters, cz'
crTsC, so Aeschylus puts it. The result could not have been
different,
as Herodotus says. The ancient naval battle was
a ramming match. A fully equipped triremecarried only
eighteen fightingmen to I70 oarsmen. The great consideration was speed, and the abilityto drivethe ioo feetlong barge
against the enemy's ship and disable it. Once the Persians
were crowded upon each other,the battle was settled. This
was the reason why the Greeks kept the shelter of their
narrow bay. It is inconceivable that they should, as Mr.
Goodwin would have them, leave the shelter of a friendly
shore,and lean theirleftwing upon a hostileshore.
The confusionof the Persians was increased by the ambition of those in the rear lines (Aesch. says theywere drawn
up three deep) to make a good showingunder the eye of the
king wlhosat on the shore behind them. The Phoenicians
were drivenback by theAthenians(e 7'v rypv
Plutarchsays),
and Herodotus tells of their coming up to rnake a certain
complaintto the king. The flightbecame general. All the
ships pushed for the north passage. Here the Aeginetans,
who had moved forwardfrom their position on the right
Greek wingrat the tip of Cynosura,were waiting for tlhem,
and taking them in the flank made havoc of the fug-itives,
earningthemselvesthe chiefgloryof the day.
This is Herodotus's perfectlyintelligibleand self-consistent
account. From it it seems to us clear that he thoughtof the
Persians as already drawn up at daybreak along the Attic
shore and closing the north passage of the strait,so as to
extend from Psyttaleia on the Attic shore opposite it to a
point westwardtherefromopposite the northerncape bounding Ambelaki bay. This makes a line of 21 miles, or if
extended to the Perama, of 4 miles. The Persian fleet,after
the withdrawalof the 200 Egyptian ships, could not have
exceeded 6oo ships. Aeschylus says these were drawn up
three deep. This allows, on the basis of a 21-mile extent
of line, 65 feet waterwayfor each ship, considerablymore
I37
than was necessary to operate it, being more than double the
width covered by ship and oars. The Greek fleet of about
300 ships, probablydrawn up in double line, had frompoint
to point(east and west) of Ambelaki bay a space of i- nmiles,
affording 50 feet per vessel. The whole sea-room was
IO,OOO,OOOsquare metres,or reckoningIOOO
ships, IO,OOO
138
[1902