The Battle of Salamis (480 BC) was fateful for Ancient Greece. The huge fleet of the Persian king Xerxes suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the much smaller fleet of the Hellenes. This happened thanks to the military cunning used by the Athenian strategist Themistocles …
In 1480 BC, a terrible threat hung over the Greek cities - the army of the king of Persia Xerxes invaded the Balkans. The purpose of the invasion was obvious: the complete conquest of all Greek lands that still retained their independence. Besides the ground forces, Xerxes had a powerful fleet.
Athens will be saved by "wooden walls"
An attempt by a detachment of Spartans led by Tsar Leonidas to block the path of Xerxes' army in Thermopylae Gorge ended in failure. The Persians broke through to central Greece. The Athenian strategist Themistocles had a plan of action, which ultimately ensured the victory of the Greeks over the Persians. But to put this plan into practice, Themistocles had to mobilize all his cunning and oratorical gift.
The Athenians sent ambassadors to Delphi to ask the oracle about further developments. The prophecy turned out to be grim. Many in Athens were discouraged, but not Themistocles. The fact is that the prediction of the Delphic oracle has always been ambiguous and indefinite in the form of presentation, and if desired, it could be understood this way and that. Themistocles had such a desire.
He understood that a victorious battle at sea was needed in order to deprive the land army of the Persians of the opportunity to deliver reinforcements and food. But how to convince the hesitant and fearful of the ominous prediction? It was here that Themistocles came in handy with his sharp mind. The prediction said that the salvation of Athens is “within the wooden walls”.
The inhabitants, of course, decided that we were talking about an old dilapidated palisade that surrounded the city. So, you need to sit in the city and wait for the gods to come to the rescue. So cowards thought. But It was clear to Themistocles that such a decision was death. And he asks for the floor at the assembly. Calling on all his eloquence to help, Themistocles managed to convince the Athenians that by the "wooden walls" the oracle meant the Athenian ships.
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As a result, the Greek cities gathered a fleet. The Greek triremes set up in a narrow strait near the island of Salamis. However, even here all the wisdom of Themistocles was needed to bring the plan to the end. The fleet commander was the Spartan Eurybiades. He wanted to anchor and sail to the Isthmus of Corinth.
Start and you win
But Themistocles understood that in the open sea near the Isthmus of Corinth, the powerful Persian fleet would easily crush the Greek squadron with its numbers. The narrow strait near Salamis, on the other hand, neutralizes their numerical superiority.
By his arguments, Themistocles was able to delay the departure of the allied fleet for several days. However, when a huge army of Persians appeared on the shore, the Greeks decided to flee. And then Themistocles, realizing with horror that the Greeks might miss the only chance to win, decided to cheat.
He sent one of his trusted slaves, Sikinn, a Persian by nationality, to King Xerxes with the message: “The Athenian general Themistocles goes over to the side of the great king and the First informs him that the Greeks want to flee. Themistocles advises not to let them escape, but to attack them while they are in fear, and destroy their sea forces."
Xerxes called a council of war. His courtiers advised the king to give the Greeks a battle in the narrow straits near Salamis - all the same, a bunch of cowardly Greeks could not resist the might of the Persian fleet. Only the Carian queen Artemisia advised not to enter the battle. But Xerxes did not listen to the woman and decided to give the Hellenes a battle immediately.
While Xerxes conferred, Themistocles was playing for time, starting heated disputes with Eurybiades and not giving him the opportunity to give the order to sail. In the midst of these verbal battles, Themistocles was informed of the long-awaited news - the Persian ships entered the Gulf of Salamis and would be here any minute. Now the Greeks had no choice but to prepare for battle.
The rest is well known. In a narrow strait, heavy Persian ships could not cope with the high-speed Greek triremes. Xerxes' fleet was defeated. Themistocles' military cunning ended in brilliant success …
Magazine: Military history, No. 12 Dmitry Inzov