The Battle of Salamis: The Naval Encounter That Saved Greece -- and Western Civilization

Couverture
Simon and Schuster, 16 août 2005 - 320 pages
4 Avis
On a late September day in 480 B.C., Greek warships faced an invading Persian armada in the narrow Salamis Straits in the most important naval battle of the ancient world. Overwhelmingly outnumbered by the enemy, the Greeks triumphed through a combination of strategy and deception. More than two millennia after it occurred, the clash between the Greeks and Persians at Salamis remains one of the most tactically brilliant battles ever fought. The Greek victory changed the course of western history -- halting the advance of the Persian Empire and setting the stage for the Golden Age of Athens.
In this dramatic new narrative account, historian and classicist Barry Strauss brings this landmark battle to life. He introduces us to the unforgettable characters whose decisions altered history: Themistocles, Athens' great leader (and admiral of its fleet), who devised the ingenious strategy that effectively destroyed the Persian navy in one day; Xerxes, the Persian king who fought bravely but who ultimately did not understand the sea; Aeschylus, the playwright who served in the battle and later wrote about it; and Artemisia, the only woman commander known from antiquity, who turned defeat into personal triumph. Filled with the sights, sounds, and scent of battle, The Battle of Salamis is a stirring work of history.
 

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LibraryThing Review

Avis d'utilisateur  - setnahkt - LibraryThing

An epic tale of the great battle between the Greeks and Persians, fought entirely with large sausages. Well, now that I’ve got that out of the way, I’m not sure quite how to take Salamis. The problem ... Consulter l'avis complet

LibraryThing Review

Avis d'utilisateur  - janerawoof - LibraryThing

Fascinating and well written summary of the Battle of Salamis, a crucial Greek naval win in the Greco-Persian War of the 400s B.C. The author has made this narrative interesting and not too scholarly ... Consulter l'avis complet

Table des matières

Piraeus
1
The Advance
9
The Trap
91
The Battle
155
The Retreat
209
Susa
243
Notes
253
Sources
269
Acknowledgments
281
Index
285
Photographs
295
Droits d'auteur

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Fréquemment cités

Page 13 - Above all, perhaps, he knew that a straight line is not always the shortest distance between two points.
Page 85 - The Lacedaemonians, when their own interests or their country's laws are in question, are the worthiest men alive; of their conduct towards others much might be said, but no clearer idea of it could be given than by shortly saying that of all the men we know they are most conspicuous in considering what is agreeable honorable, and what is expedient just.
Page 8 - Here are presented the results of the enquiry carried out by Herodotus of Halicarnassus. The purpose is to prevent the traces of human events from being erased by time, and to preserve the fame of the important and remarkable achievements produced by both Greeks and non-Greeks; among the matters covered is, in particular, the cause of the hostilities between Greeks and non-Greeks.
Page 36 - I am fervent in counter-attack with both hands as well as with both feet; as a horseman I am a good horseman; as a bowman I am a good bowman, both on foot and on horseback; as a spearman I am a good spearman, both on foot and on horseback.
Page 38 - ... yoke was studded with flashing gems and from it arose two golden images [each a cubit high] of Ninus and Belus respectively. Between these was a consecrated eagle made of gold and represented with wings outstretched. The sumptuous attire of the king was especially remarkable. His tunic was purple, interwoven with white at the center, and his gold-embroidered cloak bore a gilded motif of hawks attacking each other with their beaks. From his gilded belt, which he wore in the style of a woman, he...
Page 254 - See Colin McEvedy and Richard Jones, Atlas of World Population History (Harmondsworth, Eng.: Penguin, 1978), 343.
Page 147 - Every ship had its name depicted on a painted plaque attached to the prow. The name was possibly written out as well, but the painted image served several important purposes. It was relatively easy to identify in battle, it provided a symbol around which the crew could rally, and, not least, it was comprehensible. The majority of rowers in ancient 147 fleets were almost certainly illiterate or only partially literate.
Page 231 - So let each stand his ground firmly with his feet well set apart and bite his lip.
Page 27 - Most of the men were killed . . . ; the women and children were made slaves, and the temple at Didyma, both shrine and oracle, was plundered and burnt. . . . The Persians themselves occupied the land in the immediate...
Page ii - In compelling fashion, Strauss imaginatively accentuates the local geography and the experience of battle; however, he is most evocative when outlining the strategic thought of the leaders, Xerxes for the Persian Empire and Themistocles for the Hellenic alliance.

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À propos de l'auteur (2005)

Barry Strauss, professor of history and classics at Cornell University, is a leading expert on ancient military history. He has written or edited several books, including The Battle of Salamis, The Trojan War, The Spartacus War, Masters of Command, and The Death of Caesar. Visit BarryStrauss.com.

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