Themistokles. Die Geschichte eines Titanen und seiner Zeit. Aus dem Neugriechischen übersetzt von A. Sideras.

?Papastavrou?s short volume, originally published in modern Greek in 1970, provides a straightforward, for the most part uncontroversial, account of the ?titan and his times?. We follow Themistocles from his birth ca 524 B.C., his archonschip in 493/2 and the beginning of the Periaeus development (?), a conjectural (?) generalship at Marathon, the ?Naval Bill? of 483, the ?Troezen Decree?(?) and the climax of his career at Salamis, to his eclipse in the 47s, his trial(s), ostracism, banishment, and exile in Persia. Papastavrou writes with obvious admiration for his subject and brings out comprehensibly the military significance of the troop-dispositions of spring and summer 480, and he underlines, clearly and correctly, the importance of Themistocles? guiding hand in the overall strategic design of Greek resistance to the Persians. (?) It was also Themistocles who, as P. firmly emphasizes, laid the groundwork for Athens? later maritime empire. Interesting parallels are scattered through the book with more recent Greek political figures, particularly E. Venizelos, whose career in some respects resembles that of Themistocles.? (ANTHONY J. PODLECKI in Phoenix, 1980, p.76).