Post by jim1973 on Oct 6, 2023 2:06:51 GMT
Recently returned from Greece and was lucky enough to visit the Museum in Thebes and the ruins of Plataea. I found that looking over the probable battle site was quite an experience so I thought I would share it with you. I took this panoramic view of the ground from the city walls towards the north east. Though the land has
obviously changed, it is still flat, arable land. Having driven from Macedonia to Epirus to Aetolia to Boeotia to Attica, I can tell you that this is a rarity in Greece! No wonder they fought over it constantly.
You can understand why the Greek army sat in the foothills to avoid the Persian cavalry. The River Asopos lies to the front of the white shed in the centre of the picture. There is a second stream running parallel to the south but it is never mentioned in the accounts and may have formed over the last 2500 years. The Asopos was still quite low even after the horrendous storm that affected Central Greece just a few weeks earlier, though this will be due in part to irrigation demands. Possible site of the Persian camp? Who knows?
Thebes is just to the west of the hills in the top left corner. I would imagine the ancient road out of Plataea that the Athenians retreated along ran in that general direction. South of Plataea is Mt Kithairion and the Asopos Range. These are steep and heavily wooded.
Hope you found this interesting.
Cheers
Jim
You can understand why the Greek army sat in the foothills to avoid the Persian cavalry. The River Asopos lies to the front of the white shed in the centre of the picture. There is a second stream running parallel to the south but it is never mentioned in the accounts and may have formed over the last 2500 years. The Asopos was still quite low even after the horrendous storm that affected Central Greece just a few weeks earlier, though this will be due in part to irrigation demands. Possible site of the Persian camp? Who knows?
Thebes is just to the west of the hills in the top left corner. I would imagine the ancient road out of Plataea that the Athenians retreated along ran in that general direction. South of Plataea is Mt Kithairion and the Asopos Range. These are steep and heavily wooded.
Hope you found this interesting.
Cheers
Jim
