Marathon Read online

  For the craftspeople who bring history to life – from vases

  to swords, horn cups to armour, kitchen knives to jewelry.

  Glossary

  I am an amateur Greek scholar. My definitions are my own, but

  taken from the LSJ or Routeledge’s Handbook of Greek

  Mythology or Smith’s Classical Dictionary. On some military

  issues I have the temerity to disagree with the received wisdom

  on the subject. Also check my website at www.hippeis.com for

  more information and some helpful pictures.

  Akinakes A Scythian short sword or long knife, also sometimes

  carried by Medes and Persians.

  Andron The ‘men’s room’ of a proper Greek house – where

  men have symposia. Recent research has cast real doubt as

  to the sexual exclusivity of the room, but the name sticks.

  Apobatai The Chariot Warriors. In many towns, towns that

  hadn’t used chariots in warfare for centuries, the Apobatai

  were the elite three hundred or so. In Athens, they competed

  in special events; in Thebes, they may have been the

  forerunners of the Sacred Band.

  Archon A city’s senior official or, in some cases, one of three or

  four. A magnate.

  Aspis The Greek hoplite’s shield (which is not caled a hoplon!).

  Aspis The Greek hoplite’s shield (which is not caled a hoplon!).

  The aspis is about a yard in diameter, is deeply dished (up to

  six inches deep) and should weigh between eight and sixteen

  pounds.

  Basileus An aristocratic title from a bygone era (at least in 500

  BC) that means ‘king’ or ‘lord’.

  Bireme A warship rowed by two tiers of oars, as opposed to a

  trireme, which has three tiers.

  Chiton The standard tunic for most men, made by taking a single

  continuous piece of cloth and folding it in half, pinning the

  shoulders and open side. Can be made quite fitted by means

  of pleating. Often made of very fine quality material – usualy

  wool, sometimes linen, especialy in the upper classes. A ful

  chiton was ankle length for men and women.

  Chitoniskos A smal chiton, usualy just longer than modesty

  demanded – or not as long as modern modesty would

  demand! Worn by warriors and farmers, often heavily

  bloused and very ful by warriors to pad their armour. Usualy

  wool.

  Chlamys A short cloak made from a rectangle of cloth roughly

  60 by 90 inches – could also be worn as a chiton if folded

  and pinned a different way. Or slept under as a blanket.

  Corslet/Thorax In 500 BC, the best corslets were made of

  bronze, mostly of the so-caled ‘bel’ thorax variety. A few

  muscle corslets appear at the end of this period, gaining

  popularity into the 450s. Another style is the ‘white’ corslet,

  seen to appear just as the Persian Wars begin – reenactors

  cal this the ‘Tube and Yoke’ corslet, and some people cal it

  cal this the ‘Tube and Yoke’ corslet, and some people cal it

  (erroneously) the linothorax. Some of them may have been

  made of linen – we’l never know – but the likelier material is

  Athenian leather, which was often tanned and finished with

  alum, thus being bright white. Yet another style was a tube

  and yoke of scale, which you can see the author wearing on

  his website. A scale corslet would have been the most

  expensive of al, and probably provided the best protection.

  Daidala Cithaeron, the mountain that towered over Plataea, was

  the site of a remarkable fire-festival, the Daidala, which was

  celebrated by the Plataeans on the summit of the mountain. In

  the usual ceremony, as mounted by the Plataeans in every

  seventh year, a wooden idol (daidalon) would be dressed in

  bridal robes and dragged on an ox-cart from Plataea to the

  top of the mountain, where it would be burned after

  appropriate rituals. Or, in the Great Daidala, which were

  celebrated every forty-nine years, fourteen daidala from

  different Boeotian towns would be burned on a large wooden

  pyre heaped with brushwood, together with a cow and a bul

  that were sacrificed to Zeus and Hera. This huge pyre on the

  mountain top must have provided a most impressive

  spectacle; Pausanias remarks that he knew of no other flame

  that rose as high or could be seen from so far.

  The cultic legend that was offered to account for the festival

  ran as folows. When Hera had once quarreled with Zeus, as

  she often did, she had withdrawn to her childhood home of

  Euboea and had refused every attempt at reconciliation. So Zeus

  Euboea and had refused every attempt at reconciliation. So Zeus

  sought the advice of the wisest man on earth, Cithaeron (the

  eponym of the mountain), who ruled at Plataea in the earliest

  times. Cithaeron advised him to make a wooden image of a

  woman, to veil it in the manner of a bride, and then to have it

  drawn along in an ox-cart after spreading the rumour that he was

  planning to marry the nymph Plataea, a daughter of the river god

  Asopus. When Hera rushed to the scene and tore away the veils,

  she was so relieved to find a wooden effigy rather than the

  expected bride that she at last consented to be reconciled with

  Zeus. (Routledge Handbook of Greek Mythology, pp. 137–8)

  Daimon Literaly a spirit, the daimon of combat might be

  adrenaline, and the daimon of philosophy might simply be

  native inteligence. Suffice it to say that very inteligent men –

  like Socrates – believed that godsent spirits could infuse a

  man and influence his actions.

  Daktyloi Literaly digits or fingers, in common talk ‘inches’ in

  the system of measurement. Systems differed from city to

  city. I have taken the liberty of using just the Athenian units.

  Despoina Lady. A term of formal address.

  Diekplous A complex naval tactic about which some debate

  remains. In this book, the Diekplous, or through stroke, is

  commenced with an attack by the ramming ship’s bow

  (picture the two ships approaching bow to bow or head on)

  and cathead on the enemy oars. Oars were the most

  vulnerable part of a fighting ship, something very difficult to

  imagine unless you’ve rowed in a big boat and understand

  how lethal your own oars can be – to you! After the attacker

  how lethal your own oars can be – to you! After the attacker

  crushes the enemy’s oars, he passes, flank to flank, and then

  turns when astern, coming up easily (the defender is almost

  dead in the water) and ramming the enemy under the stern or

  counter as desired.

  Doru A spear, about ten feet long, with a bronze butt-spike.

  Eleutheria Freedom.

  Ephebe A young, free man of property. A young man in training

  to be a hoplite. Usualy performing service to his city and, in

  ancient terms, at one of the two peaks of male beauty.

  Eromenos The ‘beloved’ in a same-sex pair in ancient Greece.

/>   Usualy younger, about seventeen. This is a complex, almost

  dangerous subject in the modern world – were these pair-

  bonds about sex, or chivalric love, or just a ‘brotherhood’ of

  warriors? I suspect there were elements of al three. And to

  write

  about

  this

  period

  without

  discussing

  the

  eromenos/erastes bond would, I fear, be like putting al the

  warriors in steel armour instead of bronze . . .

  Erastes The ‘lover’ in a same-sex pair bond – the older man, a

  tried warrior, twenty-five to thirty years old.

  Eudaimonia Literaly ‘wel-spirited’. A feeling of extreme joy.

  Exhedra The porch of the women’s quarters – in some cases,

  any porch over a farm’s central courtyard.

  Helots The ‘race of slaves’ of Ancient Sparta – the conquered

  peoples who lived with the Spartiates and did al of their

  work so that they could concentrate entirely on making war

  and more Spartans.

  Hetaira Literaly a ‘female companion’. In ancient Athens, a

  Hetaira Literaly a ‘female companion’. In ancient Athens, a

  hetaira was a courtesan, a highly skiled woman who

  provided sexual companionship as wel as fashion, political

  advice and music.

  Himation A very large piece of rich, often embroidered wool,

  worn as an outer garment by wealthy citizen women or as a

  sole garment by older men, especialy those in authority.

  Hoplite A Greek upper-class warrior. Possession of a heavy

  spear, a helmet and an aspis (see above) and income above

  the marginal lowest free class were al required to serve as a

  hoplite. Although much is made of the ‘citizen soldier’ of

  ancient Greece, it would be fairer to compare hoplites to

  medieval knights than to Roman legionnaires or modern

  National Guardsmen. Poorer citizens did serve, and

  sometimes as hoplites or marines, but in general, the front

  ranks were the preserve of upper-class men who could

  afford the best training and the essential armour.

  Hoplitodromos The hoplite race, or race in armour. Two

  stades with an aspis on your shoulder, a helmet and greaves

  in the early runs. I’ve run this race in armour. It is no picnic.

  Hoplomachia A hoplite contest, or sparring match. Again,

  there is enormous debate as to when hoplomachia came into

  existence and how much training Greek hoplites received.

  One thing that they didn’t do is dril like modern soldiers –

  there’s no mention of it in al of Greek literature. However,

  they had highly evolved martial arts (see pankration) and it is

  almost certain that hoplomachia was a term that referred to

  ‘the martial art of fighting when fuly equipped as a hoplite’.

  Hoplomachos A participant in hoplomachia.

  Hypaspist Literaly ‘under the shield’. A squire or military

  servant – by the time of Arimnestos, the hypaspist was

  usualy a younger man of the same class as the hoplite.

  Kithara A stringed instrument of some complexity, with a

  holow body as a soundboard.

  Kline A couch.

  Kopis The heavy, back-curved sabre of the Greeks. Like a

  longer, heavier modern kukri or Gurkha knife.

  Kore A maiden or daughter.

  Kylix A wide, shalow, handled bowl for drinking wine.

  Logos Literaly ‘word’. In pre-Socratic Greek philosophy the

  word is everything – the power beyond the gods.

  Longche A six to seven foot throwing spear, also used for

  hunting. A hoplite might carry a pair of longchai, or a single,

  longer and heavier doru.

  Machaira A heavy sword or long knife.

  Maenads The ‘raving ones’ – ecstatic female folowers of

  Dionysus.

  Mastos A woman’s breast. A mastos cup is shaped like a

  woman’s breast with a rattle in the nipple – so when you

  drink, you lick the nipple and the rattle shows that you

  emptied the cup. I’l leave the rest to imagination . . .

  Medimnos A grain measure. Very roughly – 35 to 100 pounds

  of grain.

  Megaron A style of building with a roofed porch.

  Megaron A style of building with a roofed porch.

  Navarch An admiral.

  Oikia The household – al the family and al the slaves, and

  sometimes the animals and the farmland itself.

  Opson Whatever spread, dip or accompaniment an ancient

  Greek had with bread.

  Pais A child.

  Palaestra The exercise sands of the gymnasium.

  Pankration The military martial art of the ancient Greeks – an

  unarmed combat system that bears more than a passing

  resemblance to modern MMA techniques, with a series of

  carefuly structured blows and domination holds that is, by

  modern standards, very advanced. Also the basis of the

  Greek sword and spear-based martial arts. Kicking,

  punching, wrestling, grappling, on the ground and standing,

  were al permitted.

  Peplos A short over-fold of cloth that women could wear as a

  hood or to cover the breasts.

  Phalanx The ful military potential of a town; the actual, formed

  body of men before a battle (al of the smaler groups formed

  together made a phalanx). In this period, it would be a

  mistake to imagine a carefuly driled military machine.

  Phylarch A file-leader – an officer commanding the four to

  sixteen men standing behind him in the phalanx.

  Polemarch The war leader.

  Polis The city. The basis of al Greek political thought and

  expression, the government that was held to be more

  important – a higher god – than any individual or even family.

  important – a higher god – than any individual or even family.

  To this day, when we talk about politics, we’re talking about

  the ‘things of our city’.

  Porne A prostitute.

  Porpax The bronze or leather band that encloses the forearm on

  a Greek aspis.

  Psiloi Light infantrymen – usualy slaves or adolescent freemen

  who, in this period, were not organised and seldom had any

  weapon beyond some rocks to throw.

  Pyrrhiche The ‘War Dance’. A line dance in armour done by al

  of the warriors, often very complex. There’s reason to

  believe that the Pyrrhiche was the method by which the

  young were trained in basic martial arts and by which ‘dril’

  was inculcated.

  Pyxis A box, often circular, turned from wood or made of

  metal.

  Rhapsode A master-poet, often a performer who told epic

  works like the Iliad from memory.

  Satrap A Persian ruler of a province of the Persian Empire.

  Skeuophoros Literaly a ‘shield carrier’, unlike the hypaspist,

  this is a slave or freed man who does camp work and carries

  the armour and baggage.

  Sparabara The large wicker shield of the Persian and Mede

  elite infantry. Also the name of those soldiers.

  Spolas Another name for a leather corslet, often used for the

  lion skin of Heracles.

  Stade A measure of distance. An Athenian stade is about 185

  metres.


  metres.

  Strategos In Athens, the commander of one of the ten military

  tribes. Elsewhere, any senior Greek officer – sometimes the

  commanding general.

  Synaspismos The closest order that hoplites could form – so

  close that the shields overlap, hence ‘shield on shield’.

  Taxis Any group but, in military terms, a company; I use it for

  60 to 300 men.

  Thetes The lowest free class – citizens with limited rights.

  Thorax See corslet.

  Thugater Daughter. Look at the word carefuly and you’l see

  the ‘daughter’ in it . . .

  Triakonter A smal rowed galey of thirty oars.

  Trierarch The captain of a ship – sometimes just the owner or

  builder, sometimes the fighting captain.

  Zone A belt, often just rope or finely wrought cord, but could be

  a heavy bronze kidney belt for war.

  General Note on Names and

  Personages

  This series is set in the very dawn of the so-caled Classical Era,

  often measured from the Battle of Marathon (490 BC). Some, if

  not most, of the famous names of this era are characters in this

  series – and that’s not happenstance. Athens of this period is as

  magical, in many ways, as Tolkien’s Gondor, and even the

  quickest list of artists, poets, and soldiers of this era reads like a

  ‘who’s who’ of western civilization. Nor is the author tossing

  them together by happenstance – these people were almost al

  aristocrats, men (and women) who knew each other wel – and

  might be adversaries or friends in need. Names in bold are

  historical characters – yes, even Arimnestos – and you can get a

  glimpse into their lives by looking at Wikipedia or Britannia

  online. For more in-depth information, I recommend Plutarch

  and Herodotus, to whom I owe a great deal.

  Arimnestos of Plataea may – just may – have been

  Herodotus’s source for the events of the Persian Wars. The

  careful reader wil note that Herodotus himself – a scribe from

  Halicarnassus – appears several times . . .

  Halicarnassus – appears several times . . .

  Archilogos – Ephesian, son of Hipponax the poet; a typical

  Ionian aristocrat, who loves Persian culture and Greek culture

  too, who serves his city, not some cause of ‘Greece’ or

  ‘Helas’, and who finds the rule of the Great King fairer and

  more ‘democratic’ than the rule of a Greek tyrant.

  Arimnestos – Child of Chalkeotechnes and Euthalia.

  Aristagoras – Son of Molpagoras, nephew of Histiaeus.