The first sum he offered him was only ten talents, which were equi, valent to 30,000 livres of French money; that being refused, he still rose in his offers, till at last he proposed to give him fifty talents Gorgo, a daughter of Cleomenes, about eight or nine years of age, whom her father had not ordered to quit the room, as apprehending nothing from so young a child, hearing the proposals that were made, cried out Fly, father, fly, this stranger will corrupt you. Cleomenes laughed, but yet observed the child's admonition, and actually retired: Aristagoras left Sparta, or 91,

From hence he proceeded to Athens,* where be found a more favourable reception. He had the good fortune to arrive there at a time when the Athenians were extremely well disposed to hearken to any proposals that could be made to them against the Persians, with whom they were highly offended on the following occasion Hippias, the son of Pisistratus, tyrant of Athens, who, about ten years before, had been banished, after having tried in vain abun dance of methods for his re-establishment, at last went to Sardis, and made his application to Artaphernes. Heinsinuated himself so far into the good opinion of that governor, that he gave a favourable ear to all he said to the disadvantage of the Athenians, and became extremely prejudiced against them. The Athenians, having intelligence of this, sent an ambassador to Sardis, and desired of Artaphernes, not to give ear to what any of their outlaws should insinuate to their disadvantage. The answer of Artaphernes to this message was, that if they desired to live in peace, they must recall Hippias When this haughty answer was brought back to the Athenians, the whole city were violently enraged against the Persians. Aristagoras, coming thither just at this juncture, easily obri tained all he desired. Herodotus remarks on this occasion, how much easier it is to impose upon a multitude, than upon a single person: and so Aristagoras found it; for he prevailed with 30,000 Athenians to come to a resolution, into which he could not persuade Cleomenes alone. They engagedimmediately to furnish twenty ships to assist him in his design; and it may be truly said, that this little fleet was the original source of all the calamities, in which both the Persians and Grecians were afterwards involved. to I

A. M. 3504

In the third year of this war, the Ionians, having col Ant. J.C. 500 lected all their forces together, and being reinforced with the twenty vessels furnished by the city of Athens, and five more from Eretria, in the island of Euboea, set sail for Ephesus, and leaving their ships there, they marched by land to the city of Sardis finding the place in a defenceless condition, they soon made themselves masters of it; but the citadel, into which Artaphernes retired, they were not able to force. As most of the houses of this city were built with reeds, and consequently were very combustible, lode of an an aobiest gagns baseba: omni as

Herod. l. v. c. 55. 96, 97.

This fact has been before treated at large in this volume.

/ Ilerod. l. v. c. 99. 183.5

an Ionian soldier having set fire to one house, the flames soon spread and communicated to the rest, and reduced the whole city to ashes. Upon this accident the Persians and Lydians, assembling their forces together for their defence, the Ionians judged it was time for them to think of retreating, and accordingly they marched back with all possible diligence, in order to re embark at Ephesus: but the Persians arriving there almost as soon as they, attacked them vigorously, and destroyed a great number of their men. The Athenians, after the return of their ships, would never engage any more in this war, notwithstanding the urgent solicitations of Aristagoras! 7 al 9m, & for cot bed sH wirtyon ile

Darius being informed of the burning of Sardis,* and of the part the Athenians took in that affair, he resolved from that very time to make war upon Greece: and that he might never forget this resolution, he commanded one of his officers to cry out to him with a loud voice every night, when he was at supper Sir, remember the Athenians. In the burning of Sardis it happened that the temple of Cybele, the goddess of that country, was consumed with the rest of the city. This accident served afterwards as a pretence to the Persians to burn dll the temples they found in Greece: to which they were likewise induced by a religious motive, which I have explained before sihtre of 10bsecados te tused toi

A. M. 3505. OA Aristagoras, the head manager of this revolt, Ant. J. C. 499.19 was Hysticus's heutenant at Miletus, Darius suspected that the latter might probably be the contriver of the whole conspiracy for which reason he entered into a free conference with him upon the subject, and acquainted him with his thoughts, and the just grounds he had for his suspicion. Hystiæus, who was a crafty courtier, and an expert master in the art of dissembling, ap

d extremely surprised and afflicted and speaking in a tone at expressed both sorrow and indignation, Is it then possible, sir, said he to the king, for your majesty to have entertained so injurious a suspicion of the most faithful and most affectionate of your servants? concerned in a rebellion against you? Alas! what is there in the world that could tempt me to it? Do Twant any thing here? Am I not already raised to one of the highest stations in your court? And besides the honour I have of assisting at your councils, do I not daily receive new proofs of your bounty, by the numberless favour's you heap upon me? After this he insinuated, that the re Volt in Ionia proceeded from his absence and distance from the country; that they had waited for that opportunity to rebel; that if he had stayed at Miletus, the conspiracy would never have been formed; that the surest way to restore the king's affairs in that province, would be to bend him thither to quell the insurrection; that he promised him, on the forfeiture of his head, to deliver Aristago ras into his hands; and engaged, besides all this, to make the large caplay it 9 jro 107 ↑ [bid. c.

* Herod. LV. c. 103.

island of Sardinia tributary to him. The best princes are oftentoo and when they have once taken a subject into their conit is s with difficulty they withdraw it from him; nor do they easily undeceive themselves. Darius, imposed upon by the air of sincerity with which Hystiæus spoke on this occasion, believed him on his own word," and gave him leave to return to Jonia, on condition he came back to the Persian court as soon as he had executed what he promised. 9. All-P 18757 18 i bonin jab jeab

A. M. 3506. Ant. J. C.

The revolters, in the mean time, though deserted the Athenians, and not withstanding the considerable che they had received in Ionia, did not lose courage, but still pushed on their point with resolution! Their fleet set sail towards the Hellespont and the Propontis, and reduced Byzantium, with the greater part of the other Grecian cities, in that quarter. After which, as they were returning back again, they obliged the Carians to join with them in this war, as also the people of Cyprus The Persian generals, having divided their forces among themselves, marched three different ways against the rebels, and defeated them in seve ral encounters, in one of which Aristagoras was slain. et predi When Hystiæus was arrived at Sardis, his intriguing temper induced him to form a plot against the government, into which he drew a great number of Persians. But, perceiving by some dis course he had with Artaphernes, that the P, he thought it not safe had in the revolt of Ionia was not unknown to that governor,

90

for him to stay any longer at Sardis, and retired secretly the night following to the isle of Chios, from thence he sent a trusty messen ger to Sardis, with letters for such of the Persians as he had gained to his party. This messenger betrayed him, and delivered his let ters to Artaphernes, by which means the whole plot was discovered, all his accomplices put to death, and his project utterly defeated. But still imagining, that he could bring about some enterprise of importance, if he were once at the head of the Ionian league, he made several attempts to get into Miletus, and to be admitted into the confederacy by the citizens: but none of his endeavours succeeded, and he was obliged to return to Chios. fouT

There, being asked why he had so strongly urged Aristagoras to revolt, and by that means involved Tonia in such calamities, he made answer, that it was because the king had resolved to transport the Ionians into Phoenicia, and to plant the Phoenicians in Ionia. But all this was a mere story and fiction of his own inventing, Darius having never conceived any such design. The artifice however served his purpose extremely well, not only for justifying him sto the Ionians, but also for engaging them to prosecute the war with vigour. For being alarmed at the thoughts of this transmigration,

GA

am there

This island is very remote from Tonia, and could have no relation to it. fore apt to believe, it must be an error that has crept into the text of Herodotus. † Herod. 1. v. c. 103, 104, 108. 122. ↑ Herod. l. vi. c, 1-5 Ibid. c, 3,

they came to a firm resolution to defend themselves against the Persians to the last extremity, svad yout redw hig

AWM. 350700; Artaphernes and Otanes,* with the rest of the Per Apt C497. sian generals, finding that Miletus was the centre of the Ionians confederacy, resolved to march thither with all their forces; concluding that, if they could carry that city, all the rest would submit, of course. The Ionians, having intelligence of their design, determined in a general assembly to send no army into the field, but to fortify Miletus, and to furnish it to the utmost of their power with provisions, and all things necessary for enduring a siege; and to unite all their forces to engage the Persians at sea, their dexterity in maritime affairs inducing them to believe that they should have the advantage in a naval battle. The place of their rendezvbus was Lade, a small isle over against Miletus, where they assembled a fleet of 353 vessels. At the sight of this fleet, the Persians, though stronger by one half with respect to the number of their ships, were afraid to hazard a battle, till by their emissaries they had secretly corrupted the greatest part of the confederates, and engaged them to desert: so that when the two fleets came to engage, the ships of Samos, of Lesbos, and several other places, sailed off, and returned to their own country, and the remaining fleet of the confederates did not consist of above 100 vessels, which were all quickly overpowered by numbers, and almost entirely destroyed. After this, the city of Miletus was besieged, and became a prey to the conquerors, who utterly destroyed it. This happened six years after Aristagoras's revolt. All the other cities, as well on the continent as on the sea coast and in the isles, returned to their duty soon after, either voluntarily or by force. Those persons that stood out were treated as they had been threatened beforehand. The handsomest of the young men were chosen to serve in the king's palace; and the young women were all sent into Persia; the cities and temples were reduced to ashes. These were the effects of the revolt, into which the people were drawn by the ambitious views of Aristagoras and Hystiæus.

Ef Ibid. c. 29. 30. hotel j

the greatness of any crimes he had afterwards committed. Hystieus was one of those restless, bold, and enterprising spirits, in whom many good qualities are joined with still greater vices; with whom all means are lawful and good, that promote the end they have in view; who look upon justice, probity, and sincerity, as mere empty names: who make no scruple to employ lying or fraud, treachery or even perjury, when it is to serve their turn; and who reckon the ruin of nations, or even their own country, as nothing, if necessary to their own elevation. His end was worthy his senti ments, and such as is common enough to those irreligious politicians, who sacrifice every thing to their ambition, and acknowledge no other rule of their actions, and hardly any other God, than their interest and fortune.co

A. M. 3510.

SECTION VII.

Darius, in the twenty-eighth year of his reign, Ant. J. C. 494. having recalled all his other generals, sent Mardonius the son of Gobryas, a young lord of an illustrious Persian family who had lately married one of the king's daughters, to command in chief throughout all the maritime parts of Asia, with a particular order to invade Greece, and to revenge the burning of Sardis upon the Athenians and Eretrians. The king did not show much wisdom in this choice, by which he preferred a young man, because he was a favourite, to all his oldest and most experienced generals; especially in so difficult a war, the success of which he had very much at heart, and wherein the glory of his reign was infinitely concerned. His being son-in-law to the king was a quality, indeed, that might augment his influence, but added nothing to his real merit, or his capacity as a general.

Upon his arrival in Macedonia, into which he had marched with his land forces after having passed through Thrace, the whole country, terrified by his power, submitted. But his fleet attempting to double mount Athos (now called Capo Santo,) in order to gain the coasts of Macedonia, was attacked by so violent a storm, that upwards of 300 ships, with above 20,000 men, perished in the sea. His land army met at the same time with no less fatal a blow. For, being encamped in a place of no security, the Thracians attacked the Persian camp by night, made a great slaughter, and wounded Mardonius himself. All this ill success obliged him shortly after to return into Asia, with grief and confusion at his having miscarried both by sea and land in this expedition.

Darius perceiving, too late, that Mardonius's youth and inexperience had occasioned the defeat of his troops, recalled him, and put two other generals in his place, Datis, a Mede, and Artaphernes, son of his brother Artaphernes, who had been governor of Sardis. The

* Herod 1. vi. c. 43. 45.