Divine Intervention and the Unity of the Greeks during the Persian Invasion

Abstract

Herodotus’ Histories shows that the Persian invasion of Greece of 480-479 BCE revealed divisions among Greek city-states. Despite these divisions, this article argues that the work also relates how Greek gods and heroes remained united in repelling the Persians, providing a lesson to Herodotus’ Panhellenic audience. To this end, the paper examines the sacred topography related to divine interventions in four narratives in the Histories: the Sepias shipwreck, the Persian siege of Delphi, the burning of the AthenianAcropolis’ olive tree, and the battle of Plataiai. Through an analysis of these narratives and their topography, the article explores how the Histories emphasizes the unified force of Greek divinities in the conflict.