The Greek Fleet Prepares at Artemisium

The Greek navy that met the Persians at Artemisium included 271 ships for war not counting the pentecomers. The Athenians, Plateans, Corinthians, Megarans, Aeginas, Sicyonians, Spartans, Epidaurus peoples, Eretrians, Troezens, Styrans, and Locrians all fought together at sea. The general officer in charge was Eurybiades another Spartan. Although the Athenians had the most ships in the fleet (127), they gave up leading in "the interest of national survival, knowing that a quarrel about the command would certainly mean the destruction of Greece (VIII, 3).

When the Greeks arrived at Artemisium, they found a much larger Persian fleet at Aphetae then they had expected and considered turning back for home. The Euboeans bribed Themistocles, who in turn bribed Eurybiades and the Corinthians so that the Greek fleet stayed where it was. The Persians seeing the small concentration of Greeks at Artemisium sent 200 ships "with orders to sail outside Sciathus, in order to escape, enemy observation, and then to turn southward round Euboea and the Euripas by way of Caphareus and Geraestus; in this way they hoped to catch the Greeks in a trap (VIII, 7)." Unfortunately for Xerxes a native of Scione defected from the Persian fleet and went to Artemisium to inform the Greeks of the Persian plans. The Greeks then planned to attack the 200 ships when they came. However, the ships never showed so on the next day they attacked the main fleet.