Atossa instructed by Demokedes uttered to Dareios in his bedchamber some
such words as these: "O king, though thou hast such great power, thou
dost sit still, and dost not win in addition any nation or power for
the Persians: and yet it is reasonable that a man who is both young
and master of much wealth should be seen to perform some great deed, in
order that the Persians may know surely that he is a man by whom they
are ruled. It is expedient indeed in two ways that thou shouldest do so,
both in order that the Persians may know that their ruler is a man, and
in order that they may be worn down by war and not have leisure to plot
against thee. For now thou mightest display some great deed, while thou
art still young; seeing that as the body grows the spirit grows old
also with it, and is blunted for every kind of action." Thus she spoke
according to instructions received, and he answered thus: "Woman, thou
hast said all the things which I myself have in mind to do; for I have
made the plan to yoke together a bridge from this continent to the other
and to make expedition against the Scythians, and these designs will be
by way of being fulfilled within a little time." Then Atossa said: "Look
now,—forbear to go first against the Scythians, for these will be in
thy power whenever thou desirest: but do thou, I pray thee, make an
expedition against Hellas; for I am desirous to have Lacedemonian women
and Argive and Athenian and Corinthian, for attendants, because I hear
of them by report: and thou hast the man who of all men is most fitted
to show thee all things which relate to Hellas and to be thy guide, that
man, I mean, who healed thy foot." Dareios made answer: "Woman, since it
seems good to thee that we should first make trial of Hellas, I think
it better to send first to them men of the Persians together with him of
whom thou speakest, to make investigation, that when these have learnt
and seen, they may report each several thing to us; and then I shall go
to attack them with full knowledge of all."
135. Thus he said, and he proceeded to do the deed as he spoke the word:
for as soon as day dawned, he summoned fifteen Persians, men of
repute, and bade them pass through the coasts of Hellas in company with
Demokedes, and take care not to let Demokedes escape from them, but
bring him back at all costs. Having thus commanded them, next he
summoned Demokedes himself and asked him to act as a guide for the whole
of Hellas and show it to the Persians, and then return back: and he bade
him take all his movable goods and carry them as gifts to his father and
his brothers, saying that he would give him in their place many times
as much; and besides this, he said, he would contribute to the gifts a
merchant ship filled with all manner of goods, which should sail with
him. Dareios, as it seems to me, promised him these things with no
crafty design; but Demokedes was afraid that Dareios was making trial
of him, and did not make haste to accept all that was offered, but said
that he would leave his own things where they were, so that he might
have them when he came back; he said however that he accepted the
merchant ship which Dareios promised him for the presents to his
brothers. Dareios then, having thus given command to him also, sent them
away to the sea.
136. So these, when they had gone down to Phenicia and in Phenicia to
the city of Sidon, forthwith manned two triremes, and besides them they
also filled a large ship of burden with all manner of goods. Then when
they had made all things ready they set sail for Hellas, and touching
at various places they saw the coast regions of it and wrote down a
description, until at last, when they had seen the greater number of the
famous places, they came to Taras 120 in Italy. There from complaisance
121 to Demokedes Aristophilides the king of the Tarentines unfastened
and removed the steering-oars of the Median ships, and also confined the
Persians in prison, because, as he alleged, they came as spies. While
they were being thus dealt with, Demokedes went away and reached Croton;
and when he had now reached his own native place, Aristophilides set the
Persians free and gave back to them those parts of their ships which he
had taken away.
137. The Persians then sailing thence and pursuing Demokedes reached
Croton, and finding him in the market-place they laid hands upon him;
and some of the men of Croton fearing the Persian power were willing to
let him go, but others took hold of him and struck with their staves at
the Persians, who pleaded for themselves in these words: "Men of Croton,
take care what ye are about: ye are rescuing a man who was a slave
of king Dareios and who ran away from him. How, think you, will king
Dareios be content to receive such an insult; and how shall this which
ye do be well for you, if ye take him away from us? Against what city,
think you, shall we make expedition sooner than against this, and what
city before this shall we endeavour to reduce to slavery?" Thus
saying they did not however persuade the men of Croton, but having
had Demokedes rescued from them and the ship of burden which they were
bringing with them taken away, they set sail to go back to Asia, and
did not endeavour to visit any more parts of Hellas or to find out about
them, being now deprived of their guide. This much however Demokedes
gave them as a charge when they were putting forth to sea, bidding them
say to Dareios that Demokedes was betrothed to the daughter of Milon:
for the wrestler Milon had a great name at the king's court; and I
suppose that Demokedes was urgent for this marriage, spending much
money to further it, in order that Dareios might see that he was held in
honour also in his own country.
138. The Persians however, after they had put out from Croton, were cast
away with their ships in Iapygia; and as they were remaining there as
slaves, Gillos a Tarentine exile rescued them and brought them back to
king Dareios. In return for this Dareios offered to give him whatsoever
thing he should desire; and Gillos chose that he might have the power of
returning to Taras, narrating first the story of his misfortune: and in
order that he might not disturb all Hellas, as would be the case if on
his account a great armament should sail to invade Italy, he said it was
enough for him that the men of Cnidos should be those who brought him
back, without any others; because he supposed that by these, who were
friends with the Tarentines, his return from exile would most easily be
effected. Dareios accordingly having promised proceeded to perform; for
he sent a message to Cnidos and bade them being back Gillos to Taras:
and the men of Cnidos obeyed Dareios, but nevertheless they did not
persuade the Tarentines, and they were not strong enough to apply force.
Thus then it happened with regard to these things; and these were the
first Persians who came from Asia to Hellas, and for the reason which
has been mentioned these were sent as spies.
139. After this king Dareios took Samos before all other cities, whether
of Hellenes or Barbarians, and for a cause which was as follows:—When
Cambyses the son of Cyrus was marching upon Egypt, many Hellenes arrived
in Egypt, some, as might be expected, joining in the campaign to make
profit, 122 and some also coming to see the land itself; and among these
was Syloson the son of Aiakes and brother of Polycrates, an exile from
Samos. To this Syloson a fortunate chance occurred, which was this:—he
had taken and put upon him a flame-coloured mantle, and was about the
market-place in Memphis; and Dareios, who was then one of the spearmen
of Cambyses and not yet held in any great estimation, seeing him had
a desire for the mantle, and going up to him offered to buy it. Then
Syloson, seeing that Dareios very greatly desired the mantle, by some
divine inspiration said: "I will not sell this for any sum, but I will
give it thee for nothing, if, as it appears, it must be thine at all
costs." To this Dareios agreed and received from him the garment.
140. Now Syloson supposed without any doubt that he had altogether lost
this by easy simplicity; but when in course of time Cambyses was dead,
and the seven Persians had risen up against the Magian, and of the seven
Dareios had obtained the kingdom, Syloson heard that the kingdom had
come about to that man to whom once in Egypt he had given the garment at
his request: accordingly he went up to Susa and sat down at the entrance
123 of the king's palace, and said that he was a benefactor of Dareios.
The keeper of the door hearing this reported it to the king; and
he marvelled at it and said to him: "Who then of the Hellenes is my
benefactor, to whom I am bound by gratitude? seeing that it is now but
a short time that I possess the kingdom, and as yet scarcely one 124 of
them has come up to our court; and I may almost say that I have no debt
owing to a Hellene. Nevertheless bring him in before me, that I may know
what he means when he says these things." Then the keeper of the door
brought Syloson before him, and when he had been set in the midst, the
interpreters asked him who he was and what he had done, that he called
himself the benefactor of the king. Syloson accordingly told all that
had happened about the mantle, and how he was the man who had given it;
to which Dareios made answer: "O most noble of men, thou art he who
when as yet I had no power gavest me a gift, small it may be, but
nevertheless the kindness is counted with me to be as great as if I
should now receive some great thing from some one. Therefore I will give
thee in return gold and silver in abundance, that thou mayest not
ever repent that thou didst render a service to Dareios the son of
Hystaspes." To this Syloson replied: "To me, O king, give neither gold
nor silver, but recover and give to me my fatherland Samos, which now
that my brother Polycrates has been slain by Oroites is possessed by our
slave. This give to me without bloodshed or selling into slavery."
141. Dareios having heard this prepared to send an expedition with
Otanes as commander of it, who had been one of the seven, charging him
to accomplish for Syloson all that which he had requested. Otanes then
went down to the sea-coast and was preparing the expedition.
142. Now Maiandrios the son of Maiandrios was holding the rule over
Samos, having received the government as a trust from Polycrates; and
he, though desiring to show himself the most righteous of men, did not
succeed in so doing: for when the death of Polycrates was reported to
him, he did as follows:—first he founded an altar to Zeus the Liberator
and marked out a sacred enclosure round it, namely that which exists
still in the suburb of the city: then after he had done this he gathered
together an assembly of all the citizens and spoke these words: "To me,
as ye know as well as I, has been entrusted the sceptre of Polycrates
and all his power; and now it is open to me to be your ruler; but that
for the doing of which I find fault with my neighbour, I will myself
refrain from doing, so far as I may: for as I did not approve of
Polycrates acting as master of men who were not inferior to himself, so
neither do I approve of any other who does such things. Now Polycrates
for his part fulfilled his own appointed destiny, and I now give the
power into the hands of the people, and proclaim to you equality. 125
These privileges however I think it right to have assigned to me, namely
that from the wealth of Polycrates six talents should be taken out and
given to me as a special gift; and in addition to this I choose for
myself and for my descendants in succession the priesthood of Zeus the
Liberator, to whom I myself founded a temple, while I bestow liberty
upon you." He, as I say, made these offers to the Samians; but one of
them rose up and said: "Nay, but unworthy too art thou 126 to be
our ruler, seeing that thou art of mean birth and a pestilent fellow
besides. Rather take care that thou give an account of the money which
thou hadst to deal with."
143. Thus said one who was a man of repute among the citizens, whose
name was Telesarchos; and Maiandrios perceiving that if he resigned the
power, some other would be set up as despot instead of himself, did not
keep the purpose at all 127 of resigning it; but having retired to the
fortress he sent for each man separately, pretending that he was going
to give an account of the money, and so seized them and put them in
bonds. These then had been put in bonds; but Maiandrios after this
was overtaken by sickness, and his brother, whose name was Lycaretos,
expecting that he would die, put all the prisoners to death, in order
that he might himself more easily get possession of the power over
Samos: and all this happened because, as it appears, they did not choose
to be free.
144. So when the Persians arrived at Samos bringing Syloson home from
exile, no one raised a hand against them, and moreover the party of
Maiandrios and Maiandrios himself said that they were ready to retire
out of the island under a truce. Otanes therefore having agreed on these
terms and having made a treaty, the most honourable of the Persians had
seats placed for them in front of the fortress and were sitting there.
145. Now the despot Maiandrios had a brother who was somewhat mad, and
his name was Charilaos. This man for some offence which he had been
committed had been confined in an underground dungeon, 128 and at this
time of which I speak, having heard what was being done and having put
his head through out of the dungeon, when he saw the Persians peacefully
sitting there he began to cry out and said that he desired to come to
speech with Maiandrios. So Maiandrios hearing his voice bade them loose
him and bring him into his presence; and as soon as he was brought he
began to abuse and revile him, trying to persuade him to attack the
Persians, and saying thus: "Thou basest of men, didst thou put me in
bonds and judge me worthy of the dungeon under ground, who am thine
own brother and did no wrong worthy of bonds, and when thou seest the
Persians casting thee forth from the land and making thee homeless, dost
thou not dare to take any revenge, though they are so exceedingly easy
to be overcome? Nay, but if in truth thou art afraid of them, give me
thy mercenaries and I will take vengeance on them for their coming here;
and thyself I am willing to let go out of the island."
146. Thus spoke Charilaos, and Maiandrios accepted that which he said,
not, as I think, because he had reached such a height of folly as to
suppose that his own power would overcome that of the king, but rather
because he grudged Syloson that he should receive from him the State
without trouble, and with no injury inflicted upon it. Therefore he
desired to provoke the Persians to anger and make the Samian power as
feeble as possible before he gave it up to him, being well assured that
the Persians, when they had suffered evil, would be likely to be as
bitter against the Samians as well as against those who did the wrong,
129 and knowing also that he had a safe way of escape from the island
whenever he desired: for he had had a secret passage made under ground,
leading from the fortress to the sea. Maiandrios then himself sailed out
from Samos; but Charilaos armed all the mercenaries, and opening wide
the gates sent them out upon the Persians, who were not expecting any
such thing, but supposed that all had been arranged: and the mercenaries
falling upon them began to slay those of the Persians who had seats
carried for them 130 and were of most account. While these were thus
engaged, the rest of the Persian force came to the rescue, and the
mercenaries were hard pressed and forced to retire to the fortress.
147. Then Otanes the Persian commander, seeing that the Persians had
suffered greatly, purposely forgot the commands which Dareios gave him
when he sent him forth, not to kill any one of the Samians nor to sell
any into slavery, but to restore the island to Syloson free from all
suffering of calamity,—these commands, I say, he purposely forgot, and
gave the word to his army to slay every one whom they should take, man
or boy, without distinction. So while some of the army were besieging
the fortress, others were slaying every one who came in their way, in
sanctuary or out of sanctuary equally.
148. Meanwhile Maiandrios had escaped from Samos and was sailing to
Lacedemon; and having come thither and caused to be brought up to the
city the things which he had taken with him when he departed, he did
as follows:—first, he would set out his cups of silver and of gold,
and then while the servants were cleaning them, he would be engaged
in conversation with Cleomenes the son of Anaxandrides, then king of
Sparta, and would bring him on to his house; and when Cleomenes saw the
cups he marvelled and was astonished at them, and Maiandrios would bid
him take away with him as many of them as he pleased. Maiandrios said
this twice or three times, but Cleomenes herein showed himself the most
upright of men; for he not only did not think fit to take that which was
offered, but perceiving that Maiandrios would make presents to others
of the citizens, and so obtain assistance for himself, he went to the
Ephors and said that it was better for Sparta that the stranger of Samos
should depart from Peloponnesus, lest he might persuade either himself
or some other man of the Spartans to act basely. They accordingly
accepted his counsel, and expelled Maiandrios by proclamation.
149. As to Samos, the Persians, after sweeping the population off it,
131 delivered it to Syloson stripped of men. Afterwards however the
commander Otanes even joined in settling people there, moved by a vision
of a dream and by a disease which seized him, so that he was diseased in
the genital organs.
150. After a naval force had thus gone against Samos, the Babylonians
made revolt, being for this exceedingly well prepared; for during all
the time of the reign of the Magian and of the insurrection of the
seven, during all this time and the attendant confusion they were
preparing themselves for the siege of their city: and it chanced by some
means that they were not observed to be doing this. Then when they made
open revolt, they did as follows:—after setting apart their mothers
first, each man set apart also for himself one woman, whosoever he
wished of his own household, and all the remainder they gathered
together and killed by suffocation. Each man set apart the one who has
been mentioned to serve as a maker of bread, and they suffocated the
rest in order that they might not consume their provisions.
151. Dareios being informed of this and having gathered together all his
power, made expedition against them, and when he had marched his army
up to Babylon he began to besiege them; but they cared nothing about the
siege, for the Babylonians used to go up to the battlements of the wall
and show contempt of Dareios and of his army by gestures and by words;
and one of them uttered this saying: "Why, O Persians, do ye remain
sitting here, and not depart? For then only shall ye capture us, when
mules shall bring forth young." This was said by one of the Babylonians,
not supposing that a mule would ever bring forth young.
152. So when a year and seven months had now passed by, Dareios began
to be vexed and his whole army with him, not being able to conquer the
Babylonians. And yet Dareios had used against them every kind of device
and every possible means, but not even so could he conquer them, though
besides other devices he had attempted it by that also with which Cyrus
conquered them; but the Babylonians were terribly on their guard and he
was not able to conquer them.
153. Then in the twentieth month there happened to Zopyros the son of
that Megabyzos who had been of the seven men who slew the Magian, to
this Zopyros, I say, son of Megabyzos there happened a prodigy,—one of
the mules which served as bearers of provisions for him produced young:
and when this was reported to him, and Zopyros had himself seen the
foal, because he did not believe the report, he charged those who
had seen it not to tell that which had happened to any one, and he
considered with himself what to do. And having regard to the words
spoken by the Babylonian, who had said at first that when mules should
produce young, then the wall would be taken, having regard (I say) to
this ominous saying, it seemed to Zopyros that Babylon could be taken:
for he thought that both the man had spoken and his mule had produced
young by divine dispensation.
154. Since then it seemed to him that it was now fated that Babylon
should be captured, he went to Dareios and inquired of him whether he
thought it a matter of very great moment to conquer Babylon; and hearing
in answer that he thought it of great consequence, he considered again
how he might be the man to take it and how the work might be his own:
for among the Persians benefits are accounted worthy of a very high
degree of honour. 132 He considered accordingly that he was not able to
make conquest of it by any other means, but only if he should maltreat
himself and desert to their side. So, making light esteem of himself, he
maltreated his own body in a manner which could not be cured; for he cut
off his nose and his ears, and shaved his hair round in an unseemly way,
and scourged himself, and so went into the presence of Dareios.
155. And Dareios was exceedingly troubled when he saw the man of most
repute with him thus maltreated; and leaping up from his seat he cried
aloud and asked him who was the person who had maltreated him, and for
what deed. He replied: "That man does not exist, excepting thee, who has
so great power as to bring me into this condition; and not any stranger,
O king, has done this, but I myself to myself, accounting it a very
grievous thing that the Assyrians should make a mock of the Persians."
He made answer: "Thou most reckless of men, thou didst set the fairest
name to the foulest deed when thou saidest that on account of those who
are besieged thou didst bring thyself into a condition which cannot be
cured. How, O thou senseless one, will the enemy surrender to us more
quickly, because thou hast maltreated thyself? Surely thou didst wander
out of thy senses in thus destroying thyself." And he said, "If I had
communicated to thee that which I was about to do, thou wouldst not have
permitted me to do it; but as it was, I did it on my own account. Now
therefore, unless something is wanting on thy part, we shall conquer
Babylon: for I shall go straightway as a deserter to the wall; and I
shall say to them that I suffered this treatment at thy hands: and I
think that when I have convinced them that this is so, I shall obtain
the command of a part of their forces. Do thou then on the tenth day
from that on which I shall enter within the wall take of those troops
about which thou wilt have no concern if they be destroyed,—of these, I
say, get a thousand by 133 the gate of the city which is called the gate
of Semiramis; and after this again on the seventh day after the tenth
set, I pray thee, two thousand by the gate which is called the gate of
the Ninevites; and after this seventh day let twenty days elapse, and
then lead other four thousand and place them by the gate called the
gate of the Chaldeans: and let neither the former men nor these have any
weapons to defend them except daggers, but this weapon let them have.
Then after the twentieth day at once bid the rest of the army make an
attack on the wall all round, and set the Persians, I pray thee, by
those gates which are called the gate of Belos and the gate of Kissia:
for, as I think, when I have displayed great deeds of prowess, the
Babylonians will entrust to me, besides their other things, also the
keys which draw the bolts of the gates. Then after that it shall be the
care of myself and the Persians to do that which ought to be done."
156. Having thus enjoined he proceeded to go to the gate of the
city, turning to look behind him as he went, as if he were in truth a
deserter; and those who were set in that part of the wall, seeing him
from the towers ran down, and slightly opening one wing of the gate
asked who he was, and for what purpose he had come. And he addressed
them and said that he was Zopyros, and that he came as a deserter to
them. The gate-keepers accordingly when they heard this led him to the
public assembly of the Babylonians; and being introduced before it he
began to lament his fortunes, saying that he had in fact suffered at his
own hands, and that he had suffered this because he had counselled the
king to withdraw his army, since in truth there seemed to be no means of
taking the town: "And now," he went on to say, "I am come for very great
good to you, O Babylonians, but for very great evil to Dareios and
his army, and to the Persians, 134 for he shall surely not escape with
impunity for having thus maltreated me; and I know all the courses of
his counsels."