this character,--many of the Corinthians he drove into exile, many he
deprived of their wealth, and very many more of their lives. (f) And
when he had reigned for thirty years and had brought his life to a
prosperous end, his son Periander became his successor in the despotism.
Now Periander at first was milder than his father; but after he had had
dealings through messengers with Thrasybulos the despot of Miletos, he
became far more murderous even than Kypselos. For he sent a messenger to
Thrasybulos and asked what settlement of affairs was the safest for him
to make, in order that he might best govern his State: and Thrasybulos
led forth the messenger who had come from Periander out of the city, and
entered into a field of growing corn; and as he passed through the crop
of corn, while inquiring and asking questions repeatedly 86 of the
messenger about the occasion of his coming from Corinth, he kept cutting
off the heads of those ears of corn which he saw higher than the rest;
and as he cut off their heads he cast them away, until he had destroyed
in this manner the finest and richest part of the crop. So having passed
through the place and having suggested no word of counsel, he dismissed
the messenger. When the messenger returned to Corinth, Periander was
anxious to hear the counsel which had been given; but he said that
Thrasybulos had given him no counsel, and added that he wondered at the
deed of Periander in sending him to such a man, for the man was out of
his senses and a waster of his own goods,--relating at the same time
that which he had seen Thrasybulos do. (g) So Periander, understanding
that which had been done and perceiving that Thrasybulos counselled him
to put to death those who were eminent among his subjects, began then to
display all manner of evil treatment to the citizens of the State; for
whatsoever Kypselos had left undone in killing and driving into exile,
this Periander completed. And in one day he stripped all the wives of
the Corinthians of their clothing on account of his own wife Melissa.
For when he had sent messengers to the Thesprotians on the river Acheron
to ask the Oracle of the dead about a deposit made with him by a
guest-friend, Melissa appeared and said she would not tell in what place
the deposit was laid, for she was cold and had no clothes, since those
which he had buried with her were of no use to her, not having been
burnt; and this, she said, would be an evidence to him that she was
speaking the truth, namely that when the oven was cold, Periander had
put his loaves into it. When the report of this was brought back to
Periander, the token made him believe, because he had had commerce with
Melissa after she was dead; and straightway after receiving the message
he caused proclamation to be made that all the wives of the Corinthians
should come out to the temple of Hera. They accordingly went as to a
festival in their fairest adornment; and he having set the spearmen of
his guard in ambush, stripped them all alike, both the free women and
their attendant; and having gathered together all their clothes in a
place dug out, he set fire to them, praying at the same time to Melissa.
Then after he had done this and had sent a second time, the apparition
of Melissa told him in what spot he had laid the deposit entrusted to
him by his guest-friend.
"Such a thing, ye must know, Lacedemonians, is despotism, and such are
its deeds: and we Corinthians marvelled much at first when we saw that
ye were sending for Hippias, and now we marvel even more because ye say
these things; and we adjure you, calling upon the gods of Hellas, not
to establish despotisms in the cities. If however ye will not cease from
your design, but endeavour to restore Hippias contrary to that which is
just, know that the Corinthians at least do not give their consent to
that which ye do."
93. Socles being the envoy of Corinth thus spoke, and Hippias made
answer to him, calling to witness the same gods as he, that assuredly
the Corinthians would more than all others regret the loss of the sons
of Peisistratos, when the appointed days should have come for them to
be troubled by the Athenians. Thus Hippias made answer, being acquainted
with the oracles more exactly than any other man: but the rest of the
allies, who for a time had restrained themselves and kept silence, when
they heard Socles speak freely, gave utterance every one of them to
that which they felt, and adopted the opinion of the Corinthian envoy,
adjuring the Lacedemonians not to do any violence to a city of Hellas.
94. Thus was this brought to an end: and Hippias being dismissed from
thence had Anthemus offered to him by Amyntas king of the Macedonians
and Iolcos by the Thessalians. He however accepted neither of these, but
retired again to Sigeion; which city Peisistratos had taken by force
of arms from the Mytilenians, and having got possession of it, had
appointed his own natural son Hegesistratos, born of an Argive woman, to
be despot of it: he however did not without a struggle keep possession
of that which he received from Peisistratos; for the Mytilenians and
Athenians carried on war for a long time, having their strongholds
respectively at Achilleion and at Sigeion, the one side demanding that
the place be restored to them, and the Athenians on the other hand not
admitting this demand, but proving by argument that the Aiolians had
no better claim to the territory of Ilion than they and the rest of the
Hellenes, as many as joined with Menelaos in exacting vengeance for the
rape of Helen.
95. Now while these carried on the war, besides many other things of
various kinds which occurred in the battles, once when a fight took
place and the Athenians were conquering, Alcaios the poet, taking to
flight, escaped indeed himself, but the Athenians retained possession of
his arms and hung them up on the walls of the temple of Athene which
is at Sigeion. About this matter Alcaios composed a song and sent it to
Mytilene, reporting therein his misadventure to one Melanippos, who was
his friend. Finally Periander the son of Kypselos made peace between the
Athenians and the Mytilenians, 87 for to him they referred the matter
as arbitrator; and he made peace between them on the condition that each
should continue to occupy that territory which they then possessed.
96. Sigeion then in this matter had come under the rule of the
Athenians. And when Hippias had returned to Asia from Lacedemon, he
set everything in motion, stirring up enmity between the Athenians and
Artaphrenes, and using every means to secure that Athens should come
under the rule of himself and of Dareios. Hippias, I say, was thus
engaged; and the Athenians meanwhile hearing of these things sent envoys
to Sardis, and endeavoured to prevent the Persians from following the
suggestions of the exiled Athenians. Artaphrenes however commanded
them, if they desired to be preserved from ruin, to receive Hippias back
again. This proposal the Athenians were not by any means disposed to
accept when it was reported; and as they did not accept this, it became
at once a commonly received opinion among them that they were enemies of
the Persians.
97. While they had these thoughts and had been set at enmity with the
Persians, at this very time Aristagoras the Milesian, ordered away from
Sparta by Cleomenes the Lacedemonian, arrived at Athens; for this
was the city which had most power of all the rest besides Sparta. And
Aristagoras came forward before the assembly of the people and said the
same things as he had said at Sparta about the wealth which there was in
Asia, and about the Persian manner of making war, how they used neither
shield nor spear and were easy to overcome. Thus I say he said, and
also he added this, namely that the Milesians were colonists from the
Athenians, and that it was reasonable that the Athenians should rescue
them, since they had such great power; and there was nothing which he
did not promise, being very urgent in his request, until at last he
persuaded them: for it would seem that it is easier to deceive many than
one, seeing that, though he did not prove able to deceive Cleomenes the
Lacedemonian by himself, yet he did this to thirty thousand Athenians.
The Athenians then, I say, being persuaded, voted a resolution to
despatch twenty ships to help the Ionians, and appointed to command them
Melanthios one of their citizens, who was in all things highly reputed.
These ships proved to be the beginning of evils for the Hellenes and the
Barbarians.
98. Aristagoras however sailed on before and came to Miletos; and then
having devised a plan from which no advantage was likely to come for the
Ionians (nor indeed was he doing what he did with a view to that, but
in order to vex king Dareios), he sent a man to Phrygia to the Paionians
who had been taken captive by Megabazos from the river Strymon, and who
were dwelling in a district and village of Phrygia apart by themselves;
and when the messenger came to the Paionians he spoke these words:
"Paionians, Aristagoras the despot of Miletos sent me to offer to you
salvation, if ye shall be willing to do as he says; for now all Ionia
has revolted from the king and ye have an opportunity of coming safe to
your own land: to reach the sea shall be your concern, and after this it
shall be thenceforth ours." The Paionians hearing this received it as
a most welcome proposal, and taking with them their children and their
women they began a flight to the sea; some of them however were struck
with fear and remained in the place where they were. Having come to the
coast the Paionians crossed over thence to Chios, and when they were
already in Chios there arrived in their track a large body of Persian
horsemen pursuing the Paionians. These, as they did not overtake them,
sent over to Chios to bid the Paionians return back: the Paionians
however did not accept their proposal, but the men of Chios conveyed
them from Chios to Lesbos, and the Lesbians brought them to Doriscos,
and thence they proceeded by land and came to Paionia.
99. Aristagoras meanwhile, when the Athenians had arrived with twenty
ships, bringing with them also five triremes of the Eretrians, joined
the expedition not for the sake of the Athenians but of the Milesians
themselves, to repay them a debt which they owed (for the Milesians in
former times had borne with the Eretrians the burden of all that war
which they had with the Chalkidians at the time when the Chalkidians
on their side were helped by the Samians against the Eretrians and
Milesians),--when these, I say, had arrived and the other allies were
on the spot, Aristagoras proceeded to make a march upon Sardis. On
this march he did not go himself, but remained at Miletos and appointed
others to be in command of the Milesians, namely his brother Charopinos
and of the other citizens one Hermophantos. 8701
100. With this force then the Ionians came to Ephesos, and leaving their
ships at Coresos in the land of Ephesos, went up themselves in a large
body, taking Ephesians to guide them in their march. So they marched
along by the river Caÿster, and then when they arrived after crossing
the range of Tmolos, they took Sardis without any resistance, all except
the citadel, but the citadel Artaphrenes himself saved from capture,
having with him a considerable force of men.
101. From plundering this city after they had taken it they were
prevented by this:--the houses in Sardis were mostly built of reeds,
and even those of them which were of brick had their roofs thatched with
reeds: of these houses one was set on fire by a soldier, and forthwith
the fire going on from house to house began to spread over the whole
town. So then as the town was on fire, the Lydians and all the Persians
who were in the city being cut off from escape, since the fire was
prevailing in the extremities round about them, and not having any way
out of the town, flowed together to the market-place and to the river
Pactolos, which brings down gold-dust for them from Tmolos, flowing
through the middle of their market-place, and then runs out into the
river Hermos, and this into the sea;--to this Pactolos, I say, and to
the market-place the Lydians and Persians gathered themselves together,
and were compelled to defend themselves. The Ionians then, seeing some
of the enemy standing on their defence and others in great numbers
coming on to the attack, were struck with fear and retired to the
mountain called Tmolos, and after that at nightfall departed to go to
their ships.
102. Sardis was then destroyed by fire, and in it also the temple of the
native goddess Hybebe; which the Persians alleged afterwards as a reason
for setting on fire in return the temples in the land of the Hellenes.
However at the time of which I speak the Persians who occupied districts
within the river Halys, informed beforehand of this movement, were
gathering together and coming to the help of the Lydians; and, as it
chanced, they found when they came that the Ionians no longer were in
Sardis; but they followed closely in their track and came up with them
at Ephesos: and the Ionians stood indeed against them in array, but
when they joined battle they had very much the worse; and besides other
persons of note whom the Persians slaughtered, there fell also Eualkides
commander of the Eretrians, a man who had won wreaths in contests of
the games and who was much celebrated by Simonides of Keos: and those of
them who survived the battle dispersed to their various cities.
103. Thus then they fought at that time; and after the battle the
Athenians left the Ionians together, and when Aristagoras was urgent
in calling upon them by messengers for assistance, they said that
they would not help them: the Ionians, however, though deprived of the
alliance of the Athenians, none the less continued to prepare for the
war with the king, so great had been the offences already committed by
them against Dareios. They sailed moreover to the Hellespont and brought
under their power Byzantion and all the other cities which are in those
parts; and then having sailed forth out of the Hellespont, they gained
in addition the most part of Caria to be in alliance with them: for even
Caunos, which before was not willing to be their ally, then, after they
had burnt Sardis, was added to them also.
104. The Cyprians too, excepting those of Amathus, were added
voluntarily to their alliance; for these also had revolted from the
Medes in the following manner:--there was one Onesilos, younger brother
of Gorgos king of Salamis, and son of Chersis, the son of Siromos, the
son of Euelthon. This man in former times too had been wont often to
advise Gorgos to make revolt from the king, and at this time, when
he heard that the Ionians had revolted, he pressed him very hard and
endeavoured to urge him to it. Since however he could not persuade
Gorgos, Onesilos watched for a time when he had gone forth out of the
city of Salamis, and then together with the men of his own faction he
shut him out of the gates. Gorgos accordingly being robbed of the city
went for refuge to the Medes, and Onesilos was ruler of Salamis and
endeavoured to persuade all the men of Cyprus to join him in revolt. The
others then he persuaded; but since those of Amathus were not willing to
do as he desired, he sat down before their city and besieged it.
105. Onesilos then was besieging Amathus; and meanwhile, when it was
reported to king Dareios that Sardis had been captured and burnt by the
Athenians and the Ionians together, and that the leader of the league
for being about these things 88 was the Milesian Aristagoras, it is said
that at first being informed of this he made no account of the Ionians,
because he knew that they at all events would not escape unpunished for
their revolt, but he inquired into who the Athenians were; and when
he had been informed, he asked for his bow, and having received it
and placed an arrow upon the string, he discharged it upwards towards
heaven, and as he shot into the air he said: "Zeus, that it may be
granted me to take vengeance upon the Athenians!" Having so said he
charged one of his attendants, that when dinner was set before the king
he should say always three times: "Master, remember the Athenians."
106. When he had given this charge, he called into his presence
Histiaios the Milesian, whom Dareios had now been keeping with him for a
long time, and said: "I am informed, Histiaios, that thy deputy, to whom
thou didst depute the government of Miletos, has made rebellion against
me; for he brought in men against me from the other continent and
persuaded the Ionians also,--who shall pay the penalty to me for that
which they did,--these, I say, he persuaded to go together with them,
and thus he robbed me of Sardis. Now therefore how thinkest thou that
this is well? and how without thy counsels was anything of this kind
done? Take heed lest thou afterwards find reason to blame thyself for
this." Histiaios replied: "O king, what manner of speech is this that
thou hast uttered, saying that I counselled a matter from which it was
likely that any vexation would grow for thee, either great or small?
What have I to seek for in addition to that which I have, that I should
do these things; and of what am I in want? for I have everything that
thou hast, and I am thought worthy by thee to hear all thy counsels.
Nay, but if my deputy is indeed acting in any such manner as thou
hast said, be assured that he has done it merely on his own account. I
however, for my part, do not even admit the report to be true, that the
Milesians and my deputy are acting in any rebellious fashion against thy
power: but if it prove that they are indeed doing anything of that kind,
and if that which thou hast heard, O king, be the truth, learn then what
a thing thou didst in removing me away from the sea-coast; for it seems
that the Ionians, when I had gone out of the sight of their eyes, did
that which they had long had a desire to do; whereas if I had been in
Ionia, not a city would have made the least movement. Now therefore as
quickly as possible let me set forth to go to Ionia, that I may order
all these matters for thee as they were before, and deliver into thy
hands this deputy of Miletos who contrived these things: and when I have
done this after thy mind, I swear by the gods of the royal house that I
will not put off from me the tunic which I wear when I go down to Ionia,
until I have made Sardinia tributary to thee, which is the largest of
all islands."
107. Thus saying Histiaios endeavoured to deceive the king, and
Dareios was persuaded and let him go, charging him, when he should have
accomplished that which he had promised, to return to him again at Susa.
108. In the meantime, while the news about Sardis was going up to the
king, and while Dareios, after doing that which he did with the bow,
came to speech with Histiaios, and Histiaios having been let go by
Dareios was making his journey to the sea-coast,--during all that time
the events were happening which here follow.--As Onesilos of Salamis
was besieging those of Amathus, it was reported to him that Artybios
a Persian, bringing with him in ships a large Persian army, was to be
expected shortly to arrive in Cyprus. Being informed of this, Onesilos
sent heralds to different places in Ionia to summon the Ionians to his
assistance; and they took counsel together and came without delay with a
large force. Now the Ionians arrived in Cyprus just at the time when the
Persians having crossed over in ships from Kilikia were proceeding by
land to attack Salamis, while the Phenicians with the ships were sailing
round the headland which is called the "Keys of Cyprus."
109. This being the case, the despots of Cyprus called together the
commanders of the Ionians and said: "Ionians, we of Cyprus give you
a choice which enemy ye will rather fight with, the Persians or the
Phenicians: for if ye will rather array yourselves on land and make
trial of the Persians in fight, it is time now for you to disembark from
your ships and array yourselves on the land, and for us to embark in
your ships to contend against the Phenicians; but if on the other hand
ye will rather make trial of the Phenicians,--whichever of these two ye
shall choose, ye must endeavour that, so far as it rests with you, both
Ionia and Cyprus shall be free." To this the Ionians replied: "We were
sent out by the common authority of the Ionians to guard the sea, and
not to deliver our ships to the Cyprians and ourselves fight with the
Persians on land. We therefore will endeavour to do good service in that
place to which we were appointed; and ye must call to mind all the evils
which ye suffered from the Medes, when ye were in slavery to them, and
prove yourselves good men."
110. The Ionians made answer in these words; and afterwards, when the
Persians had come to the plain of Salamis, the kings of the Cyprians set
in order their array, choosing the best part of the troops of Salamis
and of Soloi to be arrayed against the Persians and setting the other
Cyprians against the rest of the enemy's troops; and against Artybios,
the commander of the Persians, Onesilos took up his place in the array
by his own free choice.
111. Now Artybios was riding a horse which had been trained to rear
up against a hoplite. Onesilos accordingly being informed of this, and
having a shield-bearer, by race of Caria, who was of very good repute
as a soldier and full of courage besides, 89 said to this man: "I am
informed that the horse of Artybios rears upright and works both with
his feet and his mouth against any whom he is brought to attack. Do thou
therefore consider the matter, and tell me forthwith which of the two
thou wilt rather watch for and strike, the horse or Artybios himself."
To this his attendant replied: "O king, I am ready to do both or either
of these two things, and in every case to do that which thou shalt
appoint for me; but I will declare to thee the way in which I think it
will be most suitable 90 for thy condition. I say that it is right for
one who is king and commander to fight with a king and commander; for if
thou shalt slay the commander of the enemy, it turns to great glory for
thee; and again, if he shall slay thee, which heaven forbid, even death
when it is at the hands of a worthy foe is but half to be lamented: but
for us who are under thy command it is suitable to fight with the others
who are under his command and with his horse: and of the tricks of the
horse have thou no fear at all, for I engage to thee that after this
at least he shall never stand against any man more." Thus he spoke; and
shortly afterwards the opposed forces joined battle both on land and
with their ships.
112. On that day the Ionians for their part greatly distinguished
themselves and overcame the Phenicians, and of them the Samians were
best: and meanwhile on land, when the armies met, they came to close
quarters and fought; and as regards the two commanders, what happened
was this:--when Artybios came to fight with Onesilos sitting upon his
horse, Onesilos, as he had concerted with his shield-bearer, struck at
Artybios himself, when he came to fight with him; and when the horse put
its hoofs against the shield of Onesilos, then the Carian struck with a
falchion 91 and smote off the horse's feet.
113. So Artybios the commander of the Persians fell there on the spot
together with his horse: and while the others also were fighting,
Stesenor the despot of Curion deserted them, having with him a
large force of men,--now these Curians are said to be settlers
from Argos,--and when the Curians had deserted, forthwith also the
war-chariots of the men of Salamis proceeded to do the same as the
Curians. When these things took place, the Persians had the advantage
over the Cyprians; and after their army had been put to rout, many
others fell and among them Onesilos the son of Chersis, he who brought
about the revolt of the Cyprians, and also the king of the Solians,
Aristokypros the son of Philokypros,--that Philokypros whom Solon the
Athenian, when he came to Cyprus, commended in verse above all other
despots.
114. So the men of Amathus cut off the head of Onesilos, because he had
besieged them; and having brought it to Amathus they hung it over the
gate of the city: and as the head hung there, when it had now become a
hollow, a swarm of bees entered into it and filled it with honeycomb.
This having so come to pass, the Amathusians consulted an Oracle about
the head, and they received an answer bidding them take it down and bury
it and sacrifice to Onesilos every year as a hero; and if they did this,
it would go better with them.
115. The Amathusians accordingly continued to do so even to my time. But
the Ionians who had fought the sea-fight in Cyprus, when they perceived
that the fortunes of Onesilos were ruined and that the cities of the
Cyprians were besieged, except Salamis, and that this city had been
delivered over by the Salaminians to Gorgos the former king,--as soon as
they perceived this, the Ionians sailed away back to Ionia. Now of the
cities in Cyprus Soloi held out for the longest time under the siege;
and the Persians took it in the fifth month by undermining the wall
round.