Book 5
Then Megabates, Megabates' expedition was in 499. bringing Aristagoras from Miletus [27.3,37.5] (Perseus) Miletus, the Ionian army, and the Naxians, pretended to be sailing to the Canakkale Bogazi (strait), Canakkale, Marmara, Turkey, Asia Hellespont, but when he came to +Khios [26.116,38.383] (inhabited place), Chios, Khios, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Chios, he put in with his ships at Caucasa Evidently a harbor on the S.W. coast of +Khios [26.116,38.383] (inhabited place), Chios, Khios, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Chios. so that he might cross with a north wind to +Nisos Naxos [25.583,32.33] (island), Cyclades, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Naxos.
Since it was not fated that the Naxians were to be destroyed by this force, the following things took place. As Megabates was making his rounds among the ships' watches, it chanced that there was no watch on the ship of +Myndus [27.25,37.0667] (Perseus) Myndus. Megabates, very angry at this, ordered his guards to find the captain of this ship, whose name was Scylax, and thrust him partly through an oar-hole of the ship and bound him there so that his head was outside the ship and his body inside.
When Scylax had been bound, someone brought word to Aristagoras, that his Myndian friend was bound and being disgracefully treated by Megabates. Aristagoras then went and pleaded with the Persian for Scylax, but since he obtained nothing that he requested, he went and released the man himself. When Megabates learned this, he took it very badly and was angry at Aristagoras.
Aristagoras, however, said, “But you, what have you to do with these matters? Did not Artaphrenes send you to obey me and to sail wherever I bid you? Why are you so meddlesome?” This response on the part of Aristagoras enraged Megabates, who, went night fell, sent men in a boat to +Nisos Naxos [25.583,32.33] (island), Cyclades, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Naxos to tell the Naxians of the trouble in store for them.
Now the Naxians had no suspicion at all that it was they who were to be attacked by that force. However, when they learned the truth, they immediately brought inside their walls all that was in their fields, stored both meat and drink in case of a siege, and strengthened their walls.
The Naxians, then, made all preparations to face the onset of war. When their enemies had brought their ships over from +Khios [26.116,38.383] (inhabited place), Chios, Khios, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Chios to +Naxos [15.283,37.816] (deserted settlement), Messina, Sicily, Italy, Europe Naxos, it was a fortified city that they attacked, and for four months they besieged it.
When the Persians had exhausted all the money with which they had come, and Aristagoras himself had spent much beside, they built a stronghold for the banished Naxians, and went off to the mainland in poor spirits since still more money was needed for the siege.
Aristagoras had no way of fulfilling his promise to Artaphrenes, and he was hard-pressed by demands for the costs of the force. Furthermore he feared what might come of the failure of the army and Megabates' displeasure against him. It was likely, he thought, that his lordship of Miletus [27.3,37.5] (Perseus) Miletus would be taken away from him.
With all these fears in his mind, he began to plan revolt, for it chanced that at that very time there came from Shush [48.333,32.2] (inhabited place), Khuzestan, Iran, AsiaSusa Histiaeus' messenger, the man with the marked head, signifying that Aristagoras should revolt from the king.
Since Histiaeus desired to give word to Aristagoras that he should revolt and had no other safe way of doing so because the roads were guarded, he shaved and branded the head of his most trustworthy slave. He waited till the hair had grown again, and as soon as it was grown, he sent the man to Miletus [27.3,37.5] (Perseus) Miletus with no other message except that when he came to Miletus [27.3,37.5] (Perseus) Miletus he must bid Aristagoras shave his hair and examine his head. The writing branded on it signified revolt, as I have already said.
This Histiaeus did because he greatly disliked his detention at Shush [48.333,32.2] (inhabited place), Khuzestan, Iran, AsiaSusa and fully expected to be sent away to the coast in the case that there should be a revolt. If, however, Miletus [27.3,37.5] (Perseus) Miletus remained at peace, he calculated that he would never return there.
With this intent, then, Histiaeus sent his messenger, and it chanced that all these things came upon Aristagoras at one and the same time. He accordingly took counsel with the members of his faction, stating his own opinion as well as the message which had come to him from Histiaeus.
All the rest spoke their minds to the same effect, favoring revolt, with the exception of Hecataeus the historian who, listing all the nations subject to Darius and all his power, advised them that they should not make war on the king of Iran [53,32] (nation), AsiaPersia. When, however, he failed to persuade them, he counselled them that their next best plan was to make themselves masters of the sea.
This, he said, could only be accomplished in one way (Miletus [27.3,37.5] (Perseus) Miletus, he knew, was a city of no great wealth), namely if they took away from the temple at +Didyma [27.233,37.35] (historic site), Aydin Ili, Ege kiyilari, Turkey, Asia Branchidae Cp. Hdt. 1.46. the treasure which Croesus the Lydian had dedicated there. With this at their disposal, he fully expected them to gain the mastery of the sea. They would then have the use of that treasure and their enemies would not be able to plunder it.
The treasure was very great, as I have shown in the beginning of my account. This plan was not approved, and they resolved that they would revolt. One out of their number was to sail to +Myous (deserted settlement), Aydin Ili, Ege kiyilari, Turkey, Asia Myus, to the army which had left +Nisos Naxos [25.583,32.33] (island), Cyclades, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Naxos and was there, and attempt to seize the generals who were aboard the ships.
Iatragoras, who had been sent for this very purpose, craftily seized Oliatus of Mylasa [27.8,37.3167] (Perseus)Mylasa son of Ibanollis; Histiaeus of Termera [27.3167,37] (Perseus)Termera son of Tymnes; Coes son of Erxandrus, to whom Darius gave Mytilene [26.55,39.1] (Perseus) Mytilene; Aristagoras of Kyme [24.1167,38.6333] (Perseus)Cyme, son of Heraclides; and many others besides. Then Aristagoras revolted openly, devising all he could to harm Darius.
First he made pretence of giving up his tyranny and gave Miletus [27.3,37.5] (Perseus) Miletus equality of government so that the Milesians might readily join in his revolt. Then he proceeded to do the same things in the rest of Ionia (region (general)), Europe Ionia. Some of the tyrants he banished, and as for those tyrants whom he had taken out of the ships that sailed with him against +Nisos Naxos [25.583,32.33] (island), Cyclades, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Naxos, he handed them each over to their respective cities, which he wished to please.
Coes, when the Mytilenaeans received him, was taken out and stoned, but the Cymaeans, as well as most of the others, let their own man go.
In this way, then, an end was made of tyrants in the cities. After doing away with the tyrants, Aristagoras of Miletus [27.3,37.5] (Perseus) Miletus ordered all the peoples to set up governors in each city. Then he went on an embassy in a trireme to Sparta [22.416,37.83] (inhabited place), Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece, Europe Lacedaemon, for it was necessary for him to find some strong ally. Aristagoras went to Sparta [22.416,37.83] (inhabited place), Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece, Europe Lacedaemon in 499.
At Sparta [22.4417,37.0667] (Perseus) Sparta, Anaxandrides the son of Leon, who had been king, was now no longer alive but was dead, and Cleomenes son of Anaxandrides held the royal power. This he had won not by manly merit but by right of birth. Anaxandrides had as his wife his own sister's daughter, and although he was content with her, no children were born to him.
Since this was the case, the Ephors called him to them and said, “Even if you have no interest in caring for yourself, we cannot allow the house of Eurysthenes to perish. Therefore send away the wife that you have, seeing that she bears you no children, and wed another. If you do this, you will please the Spartans.” Anaxandrides, however, said in response that he would do neither of these things and that they were not giving him good advice in bidding him to get rid of his present wife, who was blameless, and to marry another.
Then the Ephors and Elders took counsel, and placed this proposal before Anaxandrides: “Since, as we see, you cling to the wife that you have, carry out our command, and do not hold out against it, bearing in mind that the Spartans will certainly find some other way of dealing with you.
As for the wife that you have, we do not ask that you send her away. Keep providing her with all that you give her now and marry another woman in addition who can give you children.” So they spoke, and Anaxandrides consented. Presently he had two wives and kept two households, a thing which is not at all customary at Sparta [22.4417,37.0667] (Perseus) Sparta.
After no long time the second wife gave birth to Cleomenes. She, then, gave the Spartans an heir to the royal power, and as luck would have it, the first wife, who had been barren before, conceived at that very time.
When the friends of the new wife learned that the other woman was pregnant, they began to make trouble for her. They said that she was making an empty boast, so that she might substitute a child. The Ephors were angry, and when her time drew near, they sat around to watch her in childbirth because of their skepticism.
She gave birth first to Dorieus, then straightway to Leonidas, and right after him to Cleombrotus. Some, however, say that Cleombrotus and Leonidas were twins. As for the later wife, the mother of Cleomenes and the daughter of Prinetadas son of Demarmenus, she bore no more children.
Now Cleomenes, as the story goes, was not in his right mind and really quite mad, while Dorieus was first among all of his peers and fully believed that he would be made king for his manly worth.
Since he was of this opinion, Dorieus was very angry when at Anaxandrides' death the Lacedaemonians followed their custom and made Cleomenes king by right of age. Since he would not tolerate being made subject to Cleomenes, he asked the Spartans for a group of people whom he took away as colonists. He neither inquired of the oracle at Delphi [22.5167,38.4917] (Perseus) Delphi in what land he should establish his settlement, nor did anything else that was customary but set sail in great anger for Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya, with men of +Thera [25.433,36.4] (island), Cyclades, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Thera to guide him.
When he arrived there, he settled by the Cinyps river in the fairest part of Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya, but in the third year he was driven out by the Macae, the Libyans and the Carchedonians and returned to the +Peloponnese [22,37.5] (region), Greece, Europe Peloponnesus.
There Antichares, a man of Eleon,In Boeotia (department), Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, Europe Boeotia, near +Tanagra [23.6,38.3083] (Perseus) Tanagra. advised him, on the basis of the oracles of Laius, to plant a colony at +Eraclea [16.666,40.216] (deserted settlement), Matera, Basilicata, Italy, Europe Heraclea in Sicily [14,37.5] (region), Italy, Europe Sicily, for Heracles The reference appears to be to a cult of the Phoenician Melkart (identified with Heracles) on Mt. Eryx. himself, said Antichares, had won all the region of +Eryx [12.5833,38.0333] (Perseus) Eryx, which accordingly belonged to his descendants. When Dorieus heard that, he went away to Delphi [22.5167,38.4917] (Perseus) Delphi to enquire of the oracle if he should seize the place to which he was preparing to go. The priestess responded that it should be so, and he took with him the company that he had led to Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya and went to Italy [12.833,42.833] (nation), Europe Italy.
Now at this time,About 510. as the Sybarites say, they and their king Telys were making ready to march against +Croton [17.1333,39.0833] (Perseus) Croton, and the men of +Croton [17.1333,39.0833] (Perseus) Croton, who were very much afraid, entreated Dorieus to come to their aid. Their request was granted, and Dorieus marched with them to +Sybaris [16.4833,39.75] (Perseus) Sybaris helping them to take it.
This is the story which the Sybarites tell of Dorieus and his companions, but the Crotoniats say that they were aided by no stranger in their war with +Sybaris [16.4833,39.75] (Perseus) Sybaris with the exception of Callias, an Elean diviner of the Iamid clan. About him there was a story that he had fled to +Croton [17.1333,39.0833] (Perseus) Croton from Telys, the tyrant of +Sybaris [16.4833,39.75] (Perseus) Sybaris, because as he was sacrificing for victory over +Croton [17.1333,39.0833] (Perseus) Croton, he could obtain no favorable omens.
This is their tale, and both cities have proof of the truth of what they say. The Sybarites point to a precinct and a temple beside the dry bed of the Crathis, which, they say, Dorieus founded in honor of Athena of Crathis after he had helped to take their city. and find their strongest proof in his death. He perished through doing more than the oracle bade him, for if he had accomplished no more than that which he set out to do, he would have taken and held the Erycine region without bringing about the death of himself and his army.
The Crotoniats, on the other hand, show many plots of land which had been set apart for and given to Callias of +Elis [21.4,37.8833] (Perseus) Elis and on which Callias' posterity dwelt even to my time but show no gift to Dorieus and his descendants. They claim, however,that if Dorieus had aided them in their war with +Sybaris [16.4833,39.75] (Perseus) Sybaris, he would have received a reward many times greater than what was given to Callias. This, then is the evidence brought forward by each party, and each may side with that which seems to him to deserve more credence.
Other Spartans too sailed with Dorieus to found his colony, namely, Thessalus, Paraebates, Celees, and Euryleon. When these men had come to Sicily [14,37.5] (region), Italy, Europe Sicily with all their company, they were all overcome and slain in battle by the Phoenicians and Egestans, all, that is, except Euryleon, who was the only settler that survived this disaster.
He mustered the remnant of his army and took +Eraclea [13.283,37.4] (deserted settlement), Agrigento, Sicily, Italy, Europe Minoa, the colony from +Selinus [12.8167,37.5833] (Perseus) Selinus, and aided in freeing the people of +Selinus [12.8167,37.5833] (Perseus) Selinus from their monarch Pithagoras. After deposing this man, he himself attempted to become tyrant of +Selinus [12.8167,37.5833] (Perseus) Selinus but was monarch there for only a little while since the people of the place rose against him and slew him at the altar of Zeus of the marketplace, to which he had fled for refuge.
Philippus of +Croton [17.1333,39.0833] (Perseus) Croton, son of Butacides, was among those who followed Dorieus and were slain with him. He had been betrothed to the daughter of Telys of +Sybaris [16.4833,39.75] (Perseus) Sybaris but was banished from +Croton [17.1333,39.0833] (Perseus) Croton. Cheated out of his marriage, he sailed away to Shahhat [21.866,32.833] (inhabited place), Al Jabal al Akhdar, Libya, AfricaCyrene, from where he set forth and followed Dorieus, bringing his own trireme and covering all expenses for his men. This Philippus was a victor at Olympia [21.6333,37.65] (Perseus)Olympia and the fairest Greek of his day.
For his physical beauty he received from the Egestans honors accorded to no one else. They built a hero's shrine by his grave and offer him sacrifices of propitiation.
Such, then, was the manner of Dorieus' death. Had he endured Cleomenes' rule and stayed at Sparta [22.4417,37.0667] (Perseus) Sparta he would have been king of Sparta [22.416,37.83] (inhabited place), Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece, Europe Lacedaemon, for Cleomenes reigned no long time, and died leaving no son but one only daughter, whose name was Gorgo.
It was in the reign of Cleomenes that Aristagoras the tyrant of Miletus [27.3,37.5] (Perseus) Miletus came to Sparta [22.4417,37.0667] (Perseus) Sparta. When he had an audience with the king, as the Lacedaemonians report, he brought with him a bronze tablet on which the map of all the earth was engraved, and all the sea and all the rivers.