Geopolitics Magazine special edition 2016 | Page 59

Written by Stefanos Skarmintzos
Historical researcher – c. M.A. in Military History

Actions at Salamis as Psychological Operations (PSYOP)

The Greeks originally pushed slowly towards the enemy singing the paean “Apollo Savior God” as
“Apollo Delphinius” was patron of mariners. As they started to receive projectiles from Psyttalia island,
they began rowing backwards but with their prows facing the enemy. The Persian fleet began to move
forward with confidence but also facing the first problems as they had to narrow their frontage to get
into the space between the Cynosoura and what today is the islet of St George. The Greeks were no
longer retreating, as their flanks were no longer exposed. And they no longer sang the hymn to Apollo.
A murmur was raised from the Greek fleet,
growing steadily like a threat. A new paean
was heard: Forward, children of the Greeks,
Liberate the fatherland! Liberate your
children, your women, The altars of the gods
of your fathers, And the graves of your
ancestors: Now is the ultimate struggle!
Those of the Persian fleet, who understood
Greek, froze. This was not a simple battle
song just to give courage. It was addressed to
the press-ganged Greeks of the Persian fleet
calling for mutiny and insurrection. It was
rebuking them for aiding the enemy to
desecrate the shrines of the land that was the
origin of their forefathers. It certainly tore the
heart of the Ionian rowers like a scorched
knife!
Curses and oaths was the response the
Persian officers who might have used whips to
prevent potential indiscipline. On the
Phoenician and Carian ships, helpless captives
were sacrificed on the prows to woe the gods
of the barbarians hoping for their assistance
in the battle but also to terrorize their
opponents. This was too much for the
Athenian trierarch Ameinias from Pallene.
He gave orders to his mid shipman to hit the crotala ‘forward full speed!’ and the trireme lunged
forward like a wooden torpedo, to the nearest Phoenician ship that struggled with the water currents.
The heavier Athenian trireme shook the Phoenician. Some rowers were impaled from the broken oars
and others were mangled. Several Phoenician marines fell into the water and some fell into the gap
between decks and crushed. As the rest tried to come to their senses, the Athenian hoplites invaded
the enemy deck and start killing them.
Geopolitics.com.gr all rights reserved 2016

Page 58