The brother of which famous author had his hand cut off by a Persian wielding an axe? And what was his hand doing anywhere near someone who might want to do such a heinous thing? This part goes rapidly downhill from there.

Tag words: Battle of Salamis; Xerxes; Aeschylus; The Persians; Michael Stephenson; Alan H Sommerstein; Cynegeirus; Herodotus; Histories; Darius; Sardis; Psytaleia; Richard Cohen; Making History; John Marincola;