ἐστρατήγεον. The commanders or generals of the whole army, or infantry, collectively were six in number. They are plainly in pairs, each pair in charge of one great army-corps, or column, perhaps divided between them. Their exact relation to the cavalry and its commanders is not clearly envisaged by Hdt., cp. c. 88 infra. It might be argued from c. 146 infra that these commanders were already in commission at Sardes. Their appointment, indeed, probably dates long before the army reached Doriskos, but Tritantaichmes and Gergis are perhaps the only ones actually covered by the title in c. 146.
τοῦ σύμπαντος στρατου_ τοῦ πεζοῦ. The adj. πεζοῦ (agreeing with στρατοῦ） may include cavalry, or may exclude it. Hdt. here seems to take it as excluding the cavalry, but it may fairly be doubted whether he has not mistaken it.
Μαρδόνιός τε ὁ Γοβρύεω. Mardonios is already well known, and has been fully described, c. 5 supra; but the repetition of the patronymic here, in this solemn connexion would be natural enough, even if the list of Strategi had been first compiled by Hdt., which is a thing not very likely. Probably Hdt. here follows his source, in which such particulars were given. With Mardonios was associated the fourth name, Mardonios having perhaps the ἡγεμονίη, cp. c. 121.
Τριτανταίχμης ὁ Ἀρταβάνου is mentioned again, c. 121, as commander (with Gergis) of one of the armycolumns. A Tritantaichmes, son of ‘Artabazos,’ is mentioned in 1. 192 as a satrap of Babylonia; that he was so ‘at the time of Hdt.'s visit to Babylon’ (if Hdt. ever did visit Babylon) is not asserted or imphed in the text, and perhaps Ἀρταβάνου should be restored in 1. 192.
τοῦ γνώμην θεμένου μὴ στρατεύεσθαι ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα. Artabanos has (apparently) been mentioned, cc. 66 (67), 75, without such an addition, and Tritantaichmes is the fourth son of his named among the commanders. Perhaps the importance of his command may explain the addition, or perhaps it is due to the complexion of the sources. Such a title might have suggested to Hdt. the developments which he has given to ‘the opposition’ of Artabanos, cc. 10-18 supra.
Σμερδομένης ὁ Ὀτάνεω appears below, c. 121, in conjunction with Megabyzos as commander of one of the three army-corps.
The Otanes here mentioned is presumably Otanes, son of Pharnaspes, cp. c. 40 supra.
Δαρείου ἀμφότεροι οὗτοι ἀδελφεῶν παῖδες. Tritantaichmes was a son of Dareios' brother, Artabanos; but Gobryas, the father of Mardonios, was not a brother of Dareios. He had, however, married a sister of Dareios, and Mardonios was thus ἀνεψιός to Xerxes. The word ἁδελφεῶν might be taken to cover brother (ἀδελφεός) and sister (ἀδελφεή), cp. Weir Smyth, § 263 p. 235. If the old order of the words be preserved we must suppose that Otanes, the father of Smerdomenes, had, like Gobryas, a sister of Dareios to wife, and ἀδελφεῶν must be ‘sisters.’
Μασίστης ὁ Δαρείου τε καὶ Ἀτόσσης παῖς: consequently full brother to Xerxes, cp. c. 2 supra. He appeare, c. 121, below in association with Mardonios, but it is not with their column that the king himself ma<*>ches. He was afterwards ‘present’ at the battle of Mykale (as one of the Strategi), 9. 107, and nearly lost his life in a quarrel with Artayntes, one of the admirals. He was thereafter satrap of Baktria (9. 113) and one of the victims of that atrocious domestic tragedy, in which the foul lust of Xerxes and the cruel revenge of Amestris are the leading dramatic motifs (9. 108-113).
Γέργις ὁ Ἀριάζου: mentioned afterwards (c. 121) in association with Tritantaichmes as commander of the army-division with which the king himself marched. Otherwise neither he, nor his father, is known to fame, notwithstanding the exalted position he occupies on this occasion.
Μεγάβυζος ὁ Ζωπύρου. It would have been strange for Hdt. to pass over this name without comment in this place, or reference, had he been acquainted with the reputed feat of this Zopyros, and the fate of the younger Zopyros, as narrated (afterwards) 3. 150-160. One might even suspect that this passage had been originally composed before the date of Megabyzos' command in Egypt 456 B.C. (Busolt iii. 328). In any case it supports the hypothesis of the prior composition of Books 7-9; cp. Introduction § 8.
