THE RECONNOITERING OF GREECE.
B.C. 519
The reconnoitering party.--The physician Democedes.--Story of
Democedes.--His boyhood.--Democedes at AEgina.--At Athens.--At the court
of Polycrates.--Democedes a captive.--He is sent to Darius.--Democedes
is cast into prison.--His wretched condition.--Darius sprains his
ankle.--The Egyptian physicians baffled.--Sufferings of Darius.--He
sends for Democedes.--Democedes's denial.--He treats the sprain
successfully.--Darius's recovery.--The golden fetters.--Democedes
released.--Honors conferred on him.--Atossa cured by Democedes.--His
conditions.--Atossa with Darius.--She suggests the invasion of
Greece.--The exploring party.--Democedes appointed guide.--Designs of
Democedes.--Darius baffled.--The expedition sets out.--City of
Sidon.--The sea voyage.--The Grecian coasts examined.--Arrival at
Tarentum.--Suspicions of the authorities.--The Persians seized.--Escape
of Democedes.--Release of the Persians.--Tumult at Crotona.--Conduct
of Democedes.--The expedition returns.--Misfortunes.--Cillus.--Arrival
at Susa.--Reception by Darius.
The great event in the history of Darius--the one, in fact, on account
of which it was, mainly, that his name and his career have been so
widely celebrated among mankind, was an attempt which he made, on a
very magnificent scale, for the invasion and conquest of Greece.
Before commencing active operations in this grand undertaking, he sent
a reconnoitering party to examine and explore the ground. This
reconnoitering party met with a variety of extraordinary adventures in
the course of its progress, and the history of it will accordingly
form the subject of this chapter.
The guide to this celebrated reconnoitering party was a certain Greek
physician named Democedes. Though Democedes was called a Greek, he
was, really, an Italian by birth. His native town was Crotona, which
may be found exactly at the ball of the foot on the map of Italy. It
was by a very singular series of adventures that he passed from this
remote village in the west, over thousands of miles by land and sea,
to Susa, Darius's capital. He began by running away from his father
while he was still a boy. He said that he was driven to this step by
the intolerable strictness and cruelty of his father's government.
This, however, is always the pretext of turbulent and ungovernable
young men, who abandon their parents and their homes when the favors
and the protection necessary during their long and helpless infancy
have been all received, and the time is beginning to arrive for making
some return.
Democedes was ingenious and cunning, and fond of roving adventure. In
running away from home, he embarked on board a ship, as such
characters generally do at the present day, and went to sea. After
meeting with various adventures, he established himself in the island
of AEgina, in the AEgean sea, where he began to practice as a physician,
though he had had no regular education in that art. In his practice he
evinced so much medical skill, or, at least, exercised so much
adroitness in leading people to believe that he possessed it, as to
give him very soon a wide and exalted reputation. The people of AEgina
appointed him their physician, and assigned him a large salary for
his services in attending upon the sick throughout the island. This
was the usual practice in those days. A town, or an island, or any
circumscribed district of country, would appoint a physician as a
public officer, who was to devote his attention, at a fixed annual
salary, to any cases of sickness which might arise in the community,
wherever his services were needed, precisely as physicians serve in
hospitals and public institutions in modern times.
Democedes remained at AEgina two years, during which time his celebrity
increased and extended more and more, until, at length, he received an
appointment from the city of Athens, with the offer of a greatly
increased salary. He accepted the appointment, and remained in Athens
one year, when he received still more advantageous offers from
Polycrates, the king of Samos, whose history was given so fully in the
last chapter.
Democedes remained for some time in the court of Polycrates, where he
was raised to the highest distinction, and loaded with many honors. He
was a member of the household of the king, enjoyed his confidence in a
high degree, and attended him, personally, on all his expeditions. At
last, when Polycrates went to Sardis, as is related in the last
chapter, to receive the treasures of Oretes, and concert with him the
plans for their proposed campaigns, Democedes accompanied him as
usual; and when Polycrates was slain, and his attendants and followers
were made captive by Oretes, the unfortunate physician was among the
number. By this reverse, he found that he had suddenly fallen from
affluence, ease, and honor, to the condition of a neglected and
wretched captive in the hands of a malignant and merciless tyrant.
Democedes pined in this confinement for a long time; when, at length,
Oretes himself was killed by the order of Darius, it might have been
expected that the hour of his deliverance had arrived. But it was not
so; his condition was, in fact, made worse, and not better by it; for
Bagaeus, the commissioner of Darius, instead of inquiring into the
circumstances relating to the various members of Oretes's family, and
redressing the wrongs which any of them might be suffering, simply
seized the whole company, and brought them all to Darius in Susa, as
trophies of his triumph, and tokens of the faithfulness and efficiency
with which he had executed the work that Darius had committed to his
charge. Thus Democedes was borne away, in hopeless bondage, thousands
of miles farther from his native land than before, and with very
little prospect of being ever able to return. He arrived at Susa,
destitute, squalid, and miserable. His language was foreign, his rank
and his professional skill unknown, and all the marks which might
indicate the refinement and delicacy of the modes of life to which he
had been accustomed were wholly disguised by his present destitution
and wretchedness. He was sent with the other captives to the prisons,
where he was secured, like them, with fetters and chains, and was soon
almost entirely forgotten.
He might have taken some measures for making his character, and his
past celebrity and fame as a physician known; but he did not dare to
do this, for fear that Darius might learn to value his medical skill,
and so detain him as a slave for the sake of his services. He thought
that the chance was greater that some turn of fortune, or some
accidental change in the arrangements of government might take place,
by which he might be set at liberty, as an insignificant and worthless
captive, whom there was no particular motive for detaining, than if
he were transferred to the king's household as a slave, and his value
as an artisan--for medical practice was, in those days, simply an
art--were once known. He made no effort, therefore, to bring his true
character to light, but pined silently in his dungeon, in rags and
wretchedness, and in a mental despondency which was gradually sinking
into despair.
About this time, it happened that Darius was one day riding furiously
in a chase, and coming upon some sudden danger, he attempted to leap
from his horse. He fell and sprained his ankle. He was taken up by the
attendants, and carried home. His physicians were immediately called
to attend to the case. They were Egyptians. Egypt was, in fact,
considered the great seat and centre of learning and of the arts in
those days, and no royal household was complete without Egyptian
physicians.
The learning and skill, however, of the Egyptians in Darius's court
were entirely baffled by the sprain. They thought that the joint was
dislocated, and they turned and twisted the foot with so much
violence, in their attempts to restore the bones to their proper
position, as greatly to increase the pain and the inflammation.
Darius spent a week in extreme and excruciating suffering. He could
not sleep day nor night, but tossed in continual restlessness and
anguish on his couch, made constantly worse instead of better by every
effort of his physicians to relieve him.
At length somebody informed him that there was a Greek physician among
the captives that came from Sardis, and recommended that Darius should
send for him. The king, in his impatience and pain, was ready for any
experiment which promised the least hope of relief, and he ordered
that Democedes should be immediately summoned. The officers
accordingly went to the prison and brought out the astonished captive,
without any notice or preparation, and conducted him, just as he was,
ragged and wretched, and shackled with iron fetters upon his feet,
into the presence of the king. The fetters which such captives wore
were intended to allow them to walk, slowly and with difficulty, while
they impeded the movements of the feet so as effectually to prevent
any long or rapid flight, or any escape at all from free pursuers.
Democedes, when questioned by Darius, denied at first that he
possessed any medical knowledge or skill. Darius was, however, not
deceived by these protestations. It was very customary, in those days
of royal tyranny, for those who possessed any thing valuable to
conceal the possession of it: concealment was often their only
protection. Darius, who was well aware of this tendency, did not
believe the assurances of Democedes, and in the irritation and
impatience caused by his pain, he ordered the captive to be taken out
and put to the torture, in order to make him confess that he was
really a physician.
Democedes yielded without waiting to be actually put to the test. He
acknowledged at once, for fear of the torture, that he had had some
experience in medical practice, and the sprained ankle was immediately
committed to his charge. On examining the case, he thought that the
harsh and violent operations which the Egyptian physicians had
attempted were not required. He treated the inflamed and swollen joint
in the gentlest manner. He made fomenting and emollient applications,
which soothed the pain, subdued the inflammation, and allayed the
restlessness and the fever. The royal sufferer became quiet and calm,
and in a short time fell asleep.
In a word, the king rapidly recovered; and, overwhelmed with gratitude
toward the benefactor whose skill had saved him from such suffering,
he ordered that, in place of his single pair of iron fetters, he
should have two pairs of fetters of gold!
It might at first be imagined that such a strange token of regard as
this could be intended only as a jest and an insult; but there is no
doubt that Darius meant it seriously as a compliment and an honor. He
supposed that Democedes, of course, considered his condition of
captivity as a fixed and permanent one; and that his fetters were not,
in themselves, an injustice or disgrace, but the necessary and
unavoidable concomitant of his lot, so that the sending of golden
fetters to a slave was very naturally, in his view, like presenting a
golden crutch to a cripple. Democedes received the equivocal donation
with great good nature. He even ventured upon a joke on the subject to
the convalescent king. "It seems, sire," said he "that in return for
my saving your limb and your life, you double my servitude. You have
given me two chains instead of one."
The king, who was now in a much better humor to be pleased than when,
writhing in anguish, he had ordered Democedes to be put to the
torture, laughed at this reply, and released the captive from the
bonds entirely. He ordered him to be conducted by the attendants to
the apartments of the palace, where the wives of Darius and the other
ladies of the court resided, that they might see him and express their
gratitude. "This is the physician," said the eunuchs, who introduced
him, "that cured the king." The ladies welcomed him with the utmost
cordiality, and loaded him with presents of gold and silver as he
passed through their apartments. The king made arrangements, too,
immediately, for providing him with a magnificent house in Susa, and
established him there in great luxury and splendor, with costly
furniture and many attendants, and all other marks of distinction and
honor. In a word, Democedes found himself, by means of another
unexpected change of fortune, suddenly elevated to a height as lofty
as his misery and degradation had been low. He was, however, a captive
still.
The Queen Atossa, the daughter of Cyrus, who has already been
mentioned as the wife of Cambyses and of Smerdis the magian, was one
of the wives of Darius. Her sister Antystone was another. A third was
Phaedyma, the daughter of Otanes, the lady who had been so
instrumental, in connection with Atossa, in the discovery of the
magian imposture. It happened that, some time after the curing of
Darius's sprain, Atossa herself was sick. Her malady was of such a
nature, that for some time she kept it concealed, from a feeling of
delicacy.[E] At length, terrified by the danger which threatened her,
she sent for Democedes, and made her case known to him. He said that
he could cure her, but she must first promise to grant him, if he did
so, a certain favor which he should ask. She must promise beforehand
to grant it, whatever it might be. It was nothing, he said, that
should in any way compromise her honor.
[Footnote E: It was a tumor of the breast, which became, at length, an
open ulcer, and began to spread and enlarge in a very formidable
manner.]
Atossa agreed to these conditions, and Democedes undertook her case.
Her malady was soon cured; and when she asked him what was the favor
which he wished to demand, he replied,
"Persuade Darius to form a plan for the invasion of Greece, and to
send me, with a small company of attendants, to explore the country,
and obtain for him all the necessary preliminary information. In this
way I shall see my native land once more."
Atossa was faithful in her promise. She availed herself of the first
favorable opportunity, when it became her turn to visit the king, to
direct his mind, by a dexterous conversation, toward the subject of
the enlargement of his empire. He had vast forces and resources, she
said, at his command, and might easily enter upon a career of conquest
which would attract the admiration of the world. Darius replied that
he had been entertaining some views of that nature. He had thought, he
said, of attacking the Scythians: these Scythians were a group of
semi-savage nations on the north of his dominions. Atossa represented
to him that subduing the Scythians would be too easy a conquest, and
that it would be a far nobler enterprise, and more worthy of his
talents and his vast resources, to undertake an expedition into
Europe, and attempt the conquest of Greece. "You have all the means at
your command essential for the success of such an undertaking, and you
have in your court a man who can give you, or can obtain for you, all
the necessary information in respect to the country, to enable you to
form the plan of your campaigns."
The ambition of Darius was fired by these suggestions. He began
immediately to form projects and schemes. In a day or two he organized
a small party of Persian officers of distinction, in whom he had great
confidence, to go on an exploring tour into Greece. They were provided
with a suitable company of attendants, and with every thing necessary
for their journey, and Democedes was directed to prepare to go with
them as their guide. They were to travel simply as a party of Persian
noblemen, on an excursion of curiosity and pleasure, concealing their
true design; and as Democedes their guide, though born in Italy, was
in all important points a Greek, and was well acquainted with the
countries through which they were to pass, they supposed that they
could travel every where without suspicion. Darius charged the
Persians to keep a diligent watch over Democedes, and not to allow
him, on any account to leave them, but to bring him back to Susa
safely with them on their return.
As for Democedes, he had no intention whatever of returning to Persia,
though he kept his designs of making his escape entirely concealed.
Darius, with seeming generosity, said to him, while he was making his
preparations, "I recommend to you to take with you all your private
wealth and treasures, to distribute, for presents, among your friends
in Greece and Italy. I will bestow more upon you here on your return."
Democedes regarded this counsel with great suspicion. He imagined that
the king, in giving him this permission, wished to ascertain, by
observing whether he would really take with him all his possessions,
the existence of any secret determination in his mind not to come back
to Susa. If this were Darius's plan, it was defeated by the sagacious
vigilance and cunning of the physician. He told the king, in reply,
that he preferred to leave his effects in Persia, that they might be
ready for his use on his return. The king then ordered a variety of
costly articles to be provided and given to Democedes, to be taken
with him and presented to his friends in Greece and Italy. They
consisted of vessels of gold and silver, pieces of Persian armor of
beautiful workmanship, and articles of dress, expensive and splendid.
These were all carefully packed, and the various other necessary
preparations were made for the long journey.
At length the expedition set out. They traveled by land westward,
across the continent, till they reached the eastern shores of the
Mediterranean Sea. The port at which they arrived was Sidon, the city
so often mentioned in the Scriptures as a great pagan emporium of
commerce. The city of Sidon was in the height of its glory at this
time, being one of the most important ports of the Mediterranean for
all the western part of Asia. Caravans of travelers came to it by
land, bringing on the backs of camels the productions of Arabia,
Persia, and all the East; and fleets of ships by sea, loaded with the
corn, and wine, and oil of the Western nations.
At Sidon the land journey of the expedition was ended. Here they
bought two large and splendid ships, galleys of three banks of oars,
to convey them to Greece. These galleys were for their own personal
accommodation. There was a third vessel, called a transport, for the
conveyance of their baggage, which consisted mainly of the packages of
rich and costly presents which Darius had prepared. Some of these
presents were for the friends of Democedes, as has been already
explained, and others had been provided as gifts and offerings from
the king himself to such distinguished personages as the travelers
might visit on their route. When the vessels were ready, and the
costly cargo was on board, the company of travelers embarked, and the
little fleet put to sea.
The Grecian territories are endlessly divided and indented by the
seas, whose irregular and winding shores form promontories,
peninsulas, and islands without number, which are accessible in every
part by water. The Persian explorers cruised about among these coasts
under Democedes's guidance, examining every thing, and noting
carefully all the information which they could obtain, either by
personal observation or by inquiring of others, which might be of
service to Darius in his intended invasion. Democedes allowed them to
take their own time, directing their course, however, steadily, though
slowly, toward his own native town of Crotona. The expedition landed
in various places, and were every where well received. It was not for
the interest of Democedes that they should yet be intercepted. In
fact, the name and power of Darius were very much feared, or, at
least, very highly respected in all the Grecian territory, and the
people were little inclined to molest a peaceful party of Persians
traveling like ordinary tourists, and under the guidance, too, of a
distinguished countryman of their own, whose name was, in some degree,
a guarantee for the honesty and innocence of their intentions. At
length, however, after spending some time in the Grecian seas, the
little squadron moved still farther west, toward the coast of Italy,
and arrived finally at Tarentum. Tarentum was the great port on the
Grecian side of Italy. It was at the head of the spacious bay which
sets up between the heel and the ball of the foot of the boot-shaped
peninsula. Crotona, Democedes's native town, to which he was now
desirous to return, was southwest of Tarentum, about two hundred miles
along the shore.[F]
[Footnote F: For the situation of these places, see the map at the
commencement of chapter xi.]
It was a very curious and extraordinary circumstance that, though the
expedition had been thus far allowed to go and come as its leaders
pleased, without any hinderance or suspicion, yet now, the moment that
they touched a point from which Democedes could easily reach his home,
the authorities on shore, in some way or other, obtained some
intimation of the true character of their enterprise. The Prince of
Tarentum seized the ships. He made the Persians themselves prisoners
also, and shut them up; and, in order effectually to confine the
ships, he took away the helms from them, so that they could not be
steered, and were thus entirely disabled. The expedition being thus,
for the time at least, broken up, Democedes said, coolly, that he
would take the opportunity to make a little excursion along the coast,
and visit his friends at Crotona!
It was another equally suspicious circumstance in respect to the
probability that this seizure was the result of Democedes's
management, that, as soon as he was safely away, the Prince of
Tarentum set his prisoners at liberty, releasing, at the same time,
the ships from the seizure, and sending the helms on board. The
Persians were indignant at the treatment which they had received, and
set sail immediately along the coast toward Crotona in pursuit of
Democedes. They found him in the market-place in Crotona, haranguing
the people, and exciting, by his appearance and his discourse, a great
and general curiosity. They attempted to seize him as a fugitive, and
called upon the people of Crotona to aid them, threatening them with
the vengeance of Darius if they refused. A part of the people were
disposed to comply with this demand, while others rallied to defend
their townsman. A great tumult ensued; but, in the end, the party of
Democedes was victorious. He was not only thus personally rescued,
but, as he informed the people that the transport vessel which
accompanied the expedition contained property that belonged to him,
they seized that too, and gave it up to Democedes, saying to the
Persians that, though they must give up the transport, the galleys
remained at their service to convey them back to their own country
whenever they wished to go.
The Persians had now no other alternative but to return home. They
had, it is true, pretty nearly accomplished the object of their
undertaking; but, if any thing remained to be done, they could not now
attempt it with any advantage, as they had lost their guide, and a
great portion of the effects which had been provided by Darius to
enable them to propitiate the favor of the princes and potentates into
whose power they might fall. They accordingly began to make
preparations for sailing back again to Sidon, while Democedes
established himself in great magnificence and splendor in Crotona.
When, at length, the Persians were ready to sail, Democedes wished
them a very pleasant voyage, and desired them to give his best
respects to Darius, and inform him that he could not return at present
to Persia, as he was making arrangements to be married!
The disasters which had befallen these Persian reconnoiterers thus far
were only the beginning of their troubles. Their ships were driven by
contrary winds out of their course, and they were thrown at last upon
the coast of Iapygia, a country occupying the heel of Italy. Here they
were seized by the inhabitants and made slaves. It happened that there
was living in this wild country at that time a man of wealth and of
cultivation, who had been exiled from Tarentum on account of some
political offenses. His name was Cillus. He heard the story of these
unhappy foreigners, and interested himself in their fate. He thought
that, by rescuing them from their captivity and sending them home, he
should make Darius his friend, and secure, perhaps, his aid in
effecting his own restoration to his native land. He accordingly paid
the ransom which was demanded for the captives, and set them free. He
then aided them in making arrangements for their return to Persia, and
the unfortunate messengers found their way back at last to the court
of Darius, without their guide, without any of the splendid
appointments with which they had gone forth, but stripped of every
thing, and glad to escape with their lives.
They had some cause to fear, too, the anger of Darius, for the
insensate wrath of a tyrant is awakened as often by calamity as by
crime. Darius, however, was in this instance graciously disposed. He
received the unfortunate commissioners in a favorable manner. He took
immediate measures for rewarding Cillus for having ransomed them. He
treasured up, too, the information which they had obtained respecting
Greece, though he was prevented by circumstances, which we will
proceed to describe, from immediately putting into execution his plans
of invasion and conquest there.