The battle of Salamis

Question 1

What did the Persians do as they advanced into mainland Greece?

Answer 1

Burn Greek villages

Question 2

Which state was spared form the burning and why?

Answer 2

Thebes

The Thebans had shown sympathy to the Persians previously

Question 3

How did the Sthenians respond to the advance of the Persians?

Answer 3

They abandoned the city of Athens and evacuated the surrounding land of Attica

Question 4

What happened to those who chose to remain in Athens?

Answer 4

They were putunder a siege which they eventually lost

Question 5

What did the Persians do to Athens?

Answer 5

They destroyed the temple on the acropolis and ravished the city

Question 6

Where was the only area of Greece that remained free?

Answer 6

The peloponnese

Question 7

What was the reaction of the Greeks in Salamis to the situation of Athens?

Answer 7

Some generals fled

The rest decided to fight at the Isthmus of Corinth (although this decision later changed)

Question 8

Under whose advice did the Athenians abandon their city?

Answer 8

Themistocles

Question 9

What were the Athenians told by the Delphic oracle?

What were the two interpretations of this?

Answer 9

‘the wooden wall only shall not fall, but help you and your children’
To stay behind the wall of the city
To take to their ships (this was Themistocles’ view)

Question 10

What was Delphi a sanctuary to?

Answer 10

Apollo

Question 11

Who persuaded Themistocles to fight at Salamis and not the Isthmus?
(because he thought if they left the consensus would be lost)

Answer 11

The Athenian Mnesiphilus

Question 12

How many ships, in total, did the Greek fleet consist of?

Answer 12

378, more than half were Athenian ships

380 at the start of the battle

Question 13

Who led the Greek forces?

Answer 13

Eurybiades, the Spartan

Question 14

What did Themistocles think the benefits of fighting at Salamis were?

Answer 14

• Narrow space would benefit the Greeks
• Protecting the women and children who were on the island and on Aegina
• They would be able to defend the Peloponnese just as well here as at the isthmus
• A naval victory would be a setback for the Persians

Question 15

Where were the Athenian women and children evacuated to?

Answer 15

Troezen, Aegina and Salamis

Question 16

Who criticised Themistocles arguments?

and accused him of not having a city

Answer 16

Adeimantus, the Corinthian

Question 17

What did Themistocles do before the battle?

Answer 17

Send a man called Sicinnus to tell Xerxes he wished him well, and that he should attack now because the Greeks were planning escape
It is unknown whether he did this to force a battle before the Greek forces broke up or whether he was genuinely betraying the Greeks

Question 18

How did the Persians prepare to attack the Greeks?

Answer 18

In positions which would block the Greeks’ escape from both ends
In silence

Question 19

When did the Persians begin their advance?

Answer 19

At daybreak

Question 20

Which Greek states fought on the side of the Persians?

Answer 20

The Phoenicians (who led the attack and were cut off by the Athenians) and the Ionians (who then had to retreat)

Question 21

What was Xerxes afraid the Greeks would do after their victory?
What did he do to prevent this?

Answer 21

Go to the Hellespont to destroy his bridge and cut off the escape of his land forces to Asia
He made plans for escape, including starting to build a causeway to Salamis to make it look like he would stay and fight

Question 22

When Xerxes left Greece who did he leave in charge of the continuing war?

Answer 22

Mardonius

Question 23

Who first warned the commanders at Salamis that they were surrounded by Persian forces?

Answer 23

Aristides, an Athenian who had been ostracised from Athens and was a personal enemy of Themistocles, he had crossed over from Aegina

Question 24

How were the Greeks brought accurate information?

Answer 24

A Tenian trireme deserted to them

Question 25

Where was queen Artemisia from?

Answer 25

Halicarnassus, Ionia

the same place as Herodotus…