Explain how Herodotus builds up to the battle of Salamis.

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Duncan Spalding

Explain how Herodotus builds up to the battle of Salamis

Herodotus uses several different techniques in order to build up the tension leading towards an important event such as the battle of Salamis, and these techniques appear regularly throughout his account when an important event occurs such as the battle of Thermopylae.

        One such technique used by Herodotus in order to give the reader a more in depth account of the participants in the battle and build up the tension is the catalogue of ships given before the battle. Herodotus gives us details on the size of the Greek fleet and where the contributors came from.

        ‘The composition of the fleet was as follows: 16 ships from…’

This techniques applied by Herodotus to his writing is also evident before the battle of Thermopylae, where the participating forces are detailed. Herodotus then goes on to give a description of the preparations that were made in order to organize a defence of the Isthmus, where a wall was constructed by troops. This passage adds tension to the situation, since the reader comes to realise the sheer desperation of the Greeks trying frantically to stop the land over the Isthmus from being overrun by the Persians.

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        ‘…troops from all over the states hurried to the Isthmus, where they took up their position…they began to build a wall over the Isthmus.’

The hurried construction of this wall shows the fear and the insecurity they possess in their own ability to win the battle of Salamis.

Herodotus also builds up the tension by describing the details of the preparations made by the Athenians for the battle of Salamis, such as the evacuation of the city of Athens. This heightens the tension, since the reader realises that the situation is so serious that the Athenians are prepared to leave ...

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