Unorthodox Angles/Andrew Gramling
Echoes from History: The Last Stand Before Unity Part IV
It was not enough for the Greek fleet stationed in the Strait of Artemisium to know that the Persians suffered catastrophic losses in the wake of the great storm that had just ravaged the area. They had to know specifically what remained of their numbers before they could plot their next course of action.
Greek scouts were dispatched across the Aegean Sea to discover the whereabouts and the exact size of the remaining Persian forces. Eventually, a few of the scout ships made their way to the nearby port of Aphetae, the starting point of Jason and the Argonauts for their quest to retrieve the Golden Fleece from the land of Colchis, now known as Georgia, which was a myth that is said to have been based on a true story.
The scouts were more than caught off guard by what they found at Aphetae — they were completely overwhelmed. Though hundreds of Persian ships reportedly had been wrecked the night before, the scouts discovered it was only a fraction of their entire navy, which had successfully regrouped there; still a mass of hundreds if not thousands of ships. Just as the land army commanded by Xerxes represented an unstoppable force, so too did the naval contingent.
Noticing the Greek scouts, the Persians dispatched their own detachment with orders to pursue and capture. The Persian fleet, similar to the land army in another regard, was made up of a number of different ships from various regions under Persian rule, some lighter and faster while others were slower but sturdier. With such a variety, it was almost a guarantee that at least some of them would be able to give chase to the scouts. War drums sounded, men shouted orders in foreign tongues, and ships began to maneuver, giving fear and panic to the fleeing Greeks as they had no illusions about the possible consequences of waking the sleeping giant with a thousand arms.
Back in the Strait of Artemisium, the Greek fleet eagerly awaited reports of Persian activity in the area, unaware of the true depth of their situation. A total of 271 Greek triremes from city-states including: Athens, Sparta, Corinth, Aegina, Megara, Chalcis, and several others held steady afloat atop turquoise Aegean stillwaters, which at any moment could turn violent, either due to storms, or as a result of a potential future clash with their enemies.
The fleet was led by Supreme Fleet Commander Eurybiades, a Spartan. Though the Athenians largely represented the backbone of the fleet, making up nearly half of the grand total, many city-states had grown suspicious of Athenian ambition— their rapid economic and military development, and where that ambition would eventually lead them. Due to mistrust, many of them proposed that a Spartan rather than an Athenian command the fleet, without which they would not have been inspired to contribute any forces to the allied fleet, though since it was well known that the true power of Sparta lies in its infantry and not its navy, and only committing ten triremes to the cause themselves, Eurybiades would act as more of a ceremonial leader, while Themistocles of Athens, due to his experience of combat at sea, would prove to be a more capable tactician and strategist.
Some of the Greek scouts evaded pursuit and made it back to the fleet, while others were captured and then later released, as part of the Persian strategy to invoke fear in the Greeks when more detailed reports of what they were up against were revealed. The strategy was very effective, as the scouts brought news of the enormous size of what still remained of the Persian navy, and sent a shockwave of fear and apprehension through the allied forces. Numerically speaking, they were far inferior, leading many to suggest abandonment of the undertaking altogether in order to retreat further into Greece to delay the inevitable.
The Euboeans, whose island formed the eastern land portion of the Strait of Artemisium, wanting continued protection from the allied navy, bribed Themistocles to remain in the area, who then turned around and bribed the remaining opposition to defend the strait, including Supreme Commander Eurybiades, while still retaining a large portion of silver from the original bribe for himself. While the word bribe is nearly universally used in an unethical context, the survival of the Euboeans and all Greeks who hadn’t surrendered to the Persians was at stake. In this scenario, the bribe was made out of survival and desperation rather than merely for favor or monetary gain. Whether viewed as corruption or pragmatism, the payments succeeded in keeping the fleet united at a moment when many commanders favored withdrawal.
The navy made the decision to stay and hold the strait for as long as possible, but it wouldn’t be long before the Persians would arrive to test their mettle. Coincidentally or not, the battle began at nearly the same time as the Battle of Thermopylae. The Greek fleet met the Persians in the western part of the strait where the waters were narrower. This gave them the advantage of keeping Persian numbers that could file through the strait extremely limited.
On the Persian side, arrogance deceived them into thinking the Greeks were insane and that this would be a relatively easy victory because of how badly they were outnumbered; however, when the two sides clashed, it became clear who was the superior naval power strategically and tactically. Under the tactical guidance of Themistocles the fleet launched hit-and-fade attacks against the Persian ships, using their speed to their advantage, as well as their knowledge of the terrain. Triremes were built specifically with the ability to ram other ships, even much larger ones, and cause serious damage. Another tactic employed by the Greeks was to pilot alongside a Persian vessel, retract their oars, and smash through the line of Persian oars on one side, leaving them completely dead in the water. A ship that had been punctured or disabled could then be boarded by Greek hoplites to deliver the finishing blow to the ship’s crew personally.
After the Persians withdrew their forces after the first day of fighting, realizing that they had severely underestimated the Greek naval forces, who managed to hold the line with great capability, just as what happened in Thermopylae, they decided to send a detachment around the southern tip of Euboea composed of two hundred ships so that they could flank them and prevent any chance of escape. That night, as the Persians sailed around the southern tip of the island in the strait of Euboea, a second storm equally as fierce as the first hit the Persian attachment, once again destroying many of their ships. This time, the losses were more severe regarding the number of ships lost compared to the total number of ships sent, with the majority of the fleet still stationed at Aphetae. The Greeks used this opportunity to strike the remnant of the Persian attachment and either destroy them or drive them off, making their flanking attempt highly unsuccessful and a wasted effort.
On the second day, the Persians returned with greater numbers, no longer underestimating the Greeks. Though they took greater losses on this day, the Greeks still proved that they could hold steady despite greater pressure. A third day of fighting saw the stakes rise even higher with both sides taking heavy losses, but the deathblow scored against the Greeks didn’t come in the form of combat. It came in the form of a single message.
An Athenian named Habronichus who was stationed at Thermopylae, delivered a message in haste to the commanders of the Greek allied forces. They were informed that Thermopylae, despite previous success, had suddenly fallen, and that Leonidas and those who remained were likely killed. Because of the damage they had sustained during the battle, and the fact that there was no longer a corresponding land army to keep in step with, it was decided that the Greek navy retreat to Salamis, as the Persians continued to filter further into Greece by land and sea, slowing but stopping for nothing.