Professor Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones

And so for them, this is something that is spectacular and worth talking about in detail. And so he casts her as one of Xerxes' close advisors from the Salamis narrative and even before that, as somebody who really has the ear of Xerxes and also always has the right advice, even if he sometimes ignores it.

And so for them, this is something that is spectacular and worth talking about in detail. And so he casts her as one of Xerxes' close advisors from the Salamis narrative and even before that, as somebody who really has the ear of Xerxes and also always has the right advice, even if he sometimes ignores it.

And so for them, this is something that is spectacular and worth talking about in detail. And so he casts her as one of Xerxes' close advisors from the Salamis narrative and even before that, as somebody who really has the ear of Xerxes and also always has the right advice, even if he sometimes ignores it.

And so she is sort of inflated in that narrative as somebody who actually has her wits about her. And for Herodotus, she becomes sort of one of the voices of reason within Xerxes' entourage.

And so she is sort of inflated in that narrative as somebody who actually has her wits about her. And for Herodotus, she becomes sort of one of the voices of reason within Xerxes' entourage.

And so she is sort of inflated in that narrative as somebody who actually has her wits about her. And for Herodotus, she becomes sort of one of the voices of reason within Xerxes' entourage.

So initially, actually, the Greeks don't think it's significant. We are told in Herodotus that they are essentially backing away to Salamis, expecting that the next day the Persians will just fight again. They don't think that the losses they've inflicted are serious enough to knock the Persian fleet out of the war.

So initially, actually, the Greeks don't think it's significant. We are told in Herodotus that they are essentially backing away to Salamis, expecting that the next day the Persians will just fight again. They don't think that the losses they've inflicted are serious enough to knock the Persian fleet out of the war.

So initially, actually, the Greeks don't think it's significant. We are told in Herodotus that they are essentially backing away to Salamis, expecting that the next day the Persians will just fight again. They don't think that the losses they've inflicted are serious enough to knock the Persian fleet out of the war.

But it turns out that they have actually, that the Persian fleet is no longer willing to keep its advanced station. So they retreat back to Asia Minor. So at that point, they more or less just abandoned the attempt to try and have a simultaneous land and naval campaign and instead just sort of keep the land army where it is to mop up.

But it turns out that they have actually, that the Persian fleet is no longer willing to keep its advanced station. So they retreat back to Asia Minor. So at that point, they more or less just abandoned the attempt to try and have a simultaneous land and naval campaign and instead just sort of keep the land army where it is to mop up.

But it turns out that they have actually, that the Persian fleet is no longer willing to keep its advanced station. So they retreat back to Asia Minor. So at that point, they more or less just abandoned the attempt to try and have a simultaneous land and naval campaign and instead just sort of keep the land army where it is to mop up.

At which point, obviously, the Greeks have, in a sense, reclaimed control of the sea, which gives them a lot of strategic options.

At which point, obviously, the Greeks have, in a sense, reclaimed control of the sea, which gives them a lot of strategic options.

At which point, obviously, the Greeks have, in a sense, reclaimed control of the sea, which gives them a lot of strategic options.

And one of the main ones that immediately becomes relevant in the narrative is, what if they sail up to Hellespont and destroy this pontoon bridge that Xerxes had built in order to essentially cut off the Persian army and strand it in mainland Greece, for all the good it will do, but fundamentally saying, like, oh, we are now actually free to operate in your rear areas, which...

And one of the main ones that immediately becomes relevant in the narrative is, what if they sail up to Hellespont and destroy this pontoon bridge that Xerxes had built in order to essentially cut off the Persian army and strand it in mainland Greece, for all the good it will do, but fundamentally saying, like, oh, we are now actually free to operate in your rear areas, which...

And one of the main ones that immediately becomes relevant in the narrative is, what if they sail up to Hellespont and destroy this pontoon bridge that Xerxes had built in order to essentially cut off the Persian army and strand it in mainland Greece, for all the good it will do, but fundamentally saying, like, oh, we are now actually free to operate in your rear areas, which...

you know, animates a lot of modern strategic minds because this is very much the kind of operation that, you know, Blitzkrieg, it's the kind of operation that we would like to imagine as being disproportionately effective because it affects logistics, supply, communications, rather than confronting the strength of an army.

you know, animates a lot of modern strategic minds because this is very much the kind of operation that, you know, Blitzkrieg, it's the kind of operation that we would like to imagine as being disproportionately effective because it affects logistics, supply, communications, rather than confronting the strength of an army.