[5] A feeling of democratical equality, and the fear of making an individual too powerful, may probably have led to this division of military command at Athens. The absolute equality of the two consuls at Rome produced a similar effect when they both were present in the same army. The battle of Cannæ furnished a memorable example of its danger: after continual discord between Paulus Æmilius and Varro, the latter took advantage of his day of command to give the signal for battle, without even consulting his colleague, an old and experienced soldier: and the result was the delivery of Hannibal from a very critical position by the utter destruction of the Roman army.
[6] In earlier times this had been the post of the king (Eurip., Suppl., 657), and the polemarch, who succeeded in great measure to his military station, retained it. In the same manner, the second archon, who succeeded to the priestly functions of the king, retained the name of king, βασιλεὺς; and a similar instance is found in Roman history, where the title of king, rex, after it had become odious in political matters, was retained by the priest appointed to perform those sacred rites which the kings themselves had formerly performed.
[7] A Scythian tribe dwelling at the foot of Mount Imaus, on the confines of Thibet.
[8] Ἄφλαστα, apparently the ornamental finishing of the stern.
[9] For the topography of Marathon, the reader may consult Dr. Clarke’s Travels, and Colonel Leake’s paper on the Demi of Attica, with advantage. The flying Persians appear to have been entangled and stopped by a narrow pass, formed by a precipitous hill on one side, and a deep morass on the other. Hence this disproportionate slaughter.
[10] Lib. i. 32. Herod. lib. vi. c. 105, 120.
[11] Thucyd., ii. 34.
[12] Eubœa is long and very narrow, especially in the southern part, where Eretria was.
[13] Plato, Menexenus, § 8, 9, 10.
[14] This battle is usually so called, though it is said to have been fought near Poitiers. The exact locality is by no means certain.