[lit-ideas] Xerxes evaluates the enemy
- From: "Lawrence Helm" <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2007 16:26:44 -0800
Curtius, Vol 2, p 290:
"Hence we find Herodotus, in describing the consultations of the Persian
princes, whom Xerxes convoked before the commencement of the war, put into
the mouth of Mardonius the question; how the Persian king could be afraid of
a nation whose states, instead of settling their disputes by means of
heralds and messengers, as was natural to men speaking the same tongue, in
foolish haste flew to arms and inflicted heavy damages upon one another [cf
Herod. vii. 9.]
"The states themselves were of two kinds. They were either small
communities - peasant-cantons, which lived a quiet and unobserved existence
. . . and never aspired to a policy of their own; or they were larger and
more active states, which took part in the questions of the day and assumed
a hostile attitude against one another in the assertion of their rival
claims. Such was above all the mutual relation between the two principal
states. Sparta continued as yet to occupy the first place. Her citizens
were regarded as the first among the Hellenes in personal beauty and vigor,
as the born leaders of the rest, and as masters of the art of war, who were
thus justly entitled to deem themselves the superiors of the Greeks of Ionic
descent; and, although the unfortunate and unworthy policy followed by
Sparta during the last twenty years was but little adapted to call forth
confidence and respect, yet the circumstances of the time were favorable to
the continuance of her authority. For the universal terror inspired by the
spread of the Persian power, and the growing feeling of general insecurity
in the Greek world, caused Peloponnesus, on account of its natural strength,
to be more than ever regarded as the citadel of Hellas. After all, the
Spartan constitution and the Peloponnesian federation had proved themselves
to be the most enduring of all the political institutions created by the
Hellenes. . . ."
Curtius then spends a few pages describing how the Greeks were squabbling
amongst themselves and not at all getting ready to fend off the invading
Persians. Also, "if it is remembered how rare among the Greeks was the
virtue of incorruptibility, and in how many ways, open and secret, by a
voluntary adoption of their side by deserters and traitors, the Persians
were supported by the Greeks themselves, it may be understood how Xerxes
came to think his guest Demaratus out of his senses when that latter
prophesied that a serious war awaited the Persians."
Lawrence
From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2007 3:34 PM
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [lit-ideas] Thermopylai
Helm:
"The translation I have is copyrighted 1871 and
published in 1883. I sent for a history of the battle of Thermopylae but
in the meantime I thought I would see what Curtius had to say about Xerxes,
the Spartans, Leonidas and the Battle of Thermopylae."
And share when it arrives. I only have Herodotus vol. 1 (Loeb) so far, and
there's only one page reference to Xerxes -- the gist of the battle is of
course in later volumes:
Herodotus writes:
"Darius purposed to take this statue but dared not; Xerxes his son took it,
and slew the priest who warned him not to move the statue."
(Herodotus, I, 183).
So we see the mastery of Herodotus who is already biasing the reader's
emotions _against_ Xerxes, unless you like a 'youthful and impetuous' king,
as the Loeb translation of "The Persians" goes.
Personally, I cannot think (HOW REALLY MAGNANIMOUS, the Greeks were).
Imagine having a whole tragedy on your ENEMIES. I know Buenos Aires could
never Swallow a staging of Berkoff's "Sink the Belgrano!" -- and I met the
man, Berkoff, when he _was_ in Buenos Aires, brought by the brain-drain
British-Council, but he was touring with a one-man play entitled,
"Shakespeare's Villains" -- and what a pretentious Cockney the man is!
Cheers,
JL
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