The Eclipse of Xerxes

What is it about?

The paper explains the non-occurrence of the solar eclipse of Spring 480 BCE during the Persian invasion of Greece, which was alleged to have taken place by Herodotos. It looks at what he got right and what he got wrong. Several hypotheses are examined and a new, more comprehensive one put forward.

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Why is it important?

The passage has long been a puzzle, is not dealt with satisfactorily in any commentary, and has served to undermine the credibility of Herodotos as a chronicler. However, the paper shows that the chronology of Herodotos is basically correct as are, probably, some of the incidental details but that, despite trying to give an explanation of Persian astronomical thinking, he actually misunderstood it in a fundamental way and unwittingly twisted the facts to suit.