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The siege of Potidaea (480-479C) was an
unsuccessful Persian attempt to capture the strongly fortified city in the
aftermath of Xerxes's retreat from Greece, and is notable for the first
historical record of a tsunami. After the Greek naval victory at Salamis,
Xerxes of Persia decided to return to Asia, leaving 300,000 men under his
brother-in-law Mardonius in Thessaly to complete the conquest of Greece in the
following year. Xerxes marched overland to the Hellespont, accompanied by
Artabazus, son of Pharnaces with 60,000 of Mardonius's men (perhaps suggesting
that Xerxes didn’t entirely trust the rest of the army). Once Artabazus
had safely delivered Xerxes to the Hellespont he turned back and began the
return trip to Mardonius. On his way back Artabazus discovered that the
inhabitants of Pallene, the western-most of the three peninsulas of Chalcidice,
had revolted against the Persians the moment Xerxes and his army had retreated
past them, having earlier provided troops and ships for his expedition. The
rebels were defending the city of Potidaea, at the narrow northern end of the
peninsula. Artabazus decided to lay siege to Potidaea, suggesting that the
Persians weren't suffering from the serious supply problems suggested by
Herodotus and other Greek sources. The siege can be dated to the winter of
480-479 BC. The battle of Salamis took place in late September 480. After the
battle Xerxes stayed in Attica for a few days, and then took 45 days to return
to the Hellespont, taking us to mid-November 480 at the earlier. The Persians
then had to return to Chalcidice, taking us into December at the earliest. The
siege lasted for three months, so can probably be dated to December
480-February 479 or January-March 479. Potidaea was a very difficult city to
besiege. The walls stretched across the entire peninsula. Artabazus had no
ships, and so was unable to move any part of his army onto Pallene. As a result
the Potidaeans were able to receive supplies and reinforcements from the entire
peninsula. Artabazus was also besieging the nearby city of Olynthus, which he
suspected of supporting the revolt, so his forces were divided. Only after the
fall of Olynthus was he able to focus all of his efforts on Potidaea. One of
the most reliable ways to capture an ancient city was treachery within the
ranks. Artabazus came close to success in this way, after opening
communications with Timoxenus, commander of the contingent from Scione, one of
the communities of Pallene. The plot was discovered when their method of
communication went wrong. They were sending each other messages wrapped around
arrows that were fired at a pre-determined location. One of these arrows hit
and wounded a Potidaean bystander. When the people nearby rushed to his aid,
the message was discovered attached to the arrow. The message was taken to the
council of leaders controlling the defence of the city, who discovered
Timoxenus's guilt. The plot was foiled, although Timoxenus's role in it was
kept secret for some time in order not to stigmatize the town of Scione. After
three months Herodotus reports an incident that appears to be the first
historical account of a tsunami. He describes a very low tide that created
shallows along the coast. The Persians decided to try and sent troops around
the city using these shallows, but when they were only half way around the
water came back, in the biggest tide every seen by the locals. Many Persians
couldn't swim, and were drowned, while others were killed by the defenders, who
took to their boats to kill the swimmers. The Potidaeans gave the credit for
this to Poseidon, god of the sea and of earthquakes. In the aftermath of this
disaster Artabazus abandoned the siege and returned to the main Persian camp in
Thessaly. Potidaea retained its freedom, and was able to send a contingent of
300 men to the Greek league that fought at Plataea. Herodotus's account fits
very well with a tsunami. First the sea recedes, as in a very low tide, but
after a short period it returns suddenly and violently, what used to be known
as a tidal wave. Recent research suggests that this part of the Greece is
indeed vulnerable to tsunamis, supporting Herodotus's account.
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