Kitap 3
But when Darius turned the case over to him and Democedes applied Greek remedies and used gentleness instead of the Egyptians' violence, he enabled him to sleep and in a short time had him well, although Darius had had no hope of regaining the use of his foot.
After this, Darius rewarded him with a gift of two pairs of golden fetters. “Is it your purpose,” Democedes asked, “to double my pains for making you well?” Pleased by the retort, Darius sent him to his own wives. The eunuchs who conducted him told the women that this was the man who had given the king his life back.
Each of them took a bowl and dipped it in a chest full of gold, so richly rewarding Democedes that the servant accompanying him, whose name was Sciton, collected a very great sum of gold by picking up the staters that fell from the bowls.
Now this is how Democedes had come from +Croton [17.1333,39.0833] (Perseus) Croton to live with Polycrates: he was oppressed by a harsh-tempered father at +Croton [17.1333,39.0833] (Perseus) Croton ; since he could not stand him, he left him and went to +Aegina [23.433,37.75] (inhabited place), Aegina, Attica, Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, Europe Aegina . Within the first year after settling there, he excelled the rest of the physicians, although he had no equipment nor any medical implements.
In his second year the Aeginetans The Aeginetan talent = about 82 Attic minae (60 of which composed the Attic talent). paid him a talent to be their public physician; in the third year the Athenians hired him for a hundred minae, and Polycrates in the fourth year for two talents. Thus he came to +Nisos Samos [26.8,37.75] (island), Samos, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Samos , and not least because of this man the physicians of +Croton [17.1333,39.0833] (Perseus) Croton were well-respected [
for at this time the best physicians in Greek countries were those of +Croton [17.1333,39.0833] (Perseus) Croton , and next to them those of Shahhat [21.866,32.833] (inhabited place), Al Jabal al Akhdar, Libya, Africa Cyrene . About the same time the Argives had the name of being the best musicians].
So now because he had healed Darius at Shush [48.333,32.2] (inhabited place), Khuzestan, Iran, Asia Susa Democedes had a very grand house and ate at the king's table; he had everything, except permission to return to the Greeks.
When the Egyptian physicians who until now had attended the king were about to be impaled for being less skilful than a Greek, Democedes interceded with the king for them and saved them; and he saved an Elean seer, too, who had been a retainer of Polycrates' and was forgotten among the slaves. Democedes was a man of considerable influence with the King.
A short time after this, something else occurred; there was a swelling on the breast of Atossa, the daughter of Cyrus and wife of Darius, which broke and spread further. As long as it was small, she hid it out of shame and told no one; but when it got bad, she sent for Democedes and showed it to him.
He said he would cure her, but made her swear that she would repay him by granting whatever he asked of her, and said that he would ask nothing shameful.
And after he treated her and did cure her, Atossa addressed Darius in their chamber as she had been instructed by Democedes: “O King, although you have so much power you are idle, acquiring no additional people or power for the Persians.
The right thing for a man who is both young and the master of great wealth is to be seen aggrandizing himself, so that the Persians know too that they are ruled by a man. On two counts it is in your interest to do this, both so that the Persians know that their leader is a man, and so that they be occupied by war and not have time to plot against you.
You should show some industry now, while you are still young: for sense grows with the growing body, but grows old too with the aging body and loses its edge for all purposes.”
She said this as instructed, but he replied with this: “Woman, what you have said is exactly what I had in mind to do. For I have planned to make a bridge from this continent to the other continent and lead an army against the Scythians; and this will be done in a short time.”
“Look,” Atossa said, “let the Scythians go for the present; you shall have them whenever you like; I tell you, march against Greece [22,39] (nation), Europe Hellas . I have heard of Laconian and Argive and Attic and Corinthian women, and would like to have them as servants. You have a man who is fitter than any other to instruct and guide you in everything concerning Greece [22,39] (nation), Europe Hellas : I mean the physician who healed your foot.”
Darius answered, “Woman, since you think that we should make an attempt on Greece [22,39] (nation), Europe Greece first, it seems to me to be best that we first send Persian spies with the man whom you mention, who shall tell us everything that they learn and observe; and then when I am fully informed I shall rouse myself against them.”
He said this, and no sooner said than did it. For the next day at dawn he summoned fifteen prominent Persians, and instructed them to go with Democedes and sail along the coast of Greece [22,39] (nation), Europe Hellas ; telling them, too, by all means to bring the physician back and not let him escape.
Having given these instructions to them, he then sent for Democedes, and asked of him that when he had shown and made clear all of Greece [22,39] (nation), Europe Greece to the Persians, he would come back; and he told him to take all his movable goods to give to his father and siblings, saying that he would give him many times as much in return and would send with him a ship with a cargo of all good things.
Darius, I think, made this promise without a treacherous intent, but Democedes was afraid that Darius was testing him; therefore he was in no hurry to accept all that was offered, but answered that he would leave his own possessions where they were, so as to have them when he returned; the ship which Darius promised him to carry the gifts for his siblings, he said he would accept. Having given the same instructions to Democedes too, Darius sent them all to the coast.
They came down to the city of +Sidon [35.366,33.55] (inhabited place), Al-Janub, Lebanon, Asia Sidon in +Phoenicia (region (general)), Asia Phoenicia , and there chartered two triremes, as well as a great galley laden with all good things; and when everything was ready they set sail for Greece [22,39] (nation), Europe Hellas , where they surveyed and mapped the coasts to which they came; until having viewed the greater and most famous parts they reached +Taranto [17.216,40.466] (inhabited place), Taranto, Apulia, Italy, Europe Tarentum in Italy [12.833,42.833] (nation), Europe Italy .
There Aristophilides, king of the Tarentines, out of sympathy for Democedes, took the steering gear off the Median ships and put the Persians under a guard, calling them spies. While they were in this plight, Democedes made his way to +Croton [17.1333,39.0833] (Perseus) Croton ; and Aristophilides did not set the Persians free and give them back what he had taken from their ships until the physician was in his own country.
The Persians sailed from +Taranto [17.216,40.466] (inhabited place), Taranto, Apulia, Italy, Europe Tarentum and pursued Democedes to +Croton [17.1333,39.0833] (Perseus) Croton , where they found him in the marketplace and tried to seize him.
Some Crotoniats, who feared the Persian power, would have given him up; but others resisted and beat the Persians with their sticks. “Men of +Croton [17.1333,39.0833] (Perseus) Croton , watch what you do,” said the Persians; “you are harboring an escaped slave of the King's.
How do you think King Darius will like this insolence? What good will it do you if he gets away from us? What city will we attack first here? Which will we try to enslave first?”
But the men of +Croton [17.1333,39.0833] (Perseus) Croton paid no attention to them; so the Persians lost Democedes and the galley with which they had come, and sailed back for Asia (continent) Asia , making no attempt to visit and learn of the further parts of Greece [22,39] (nation), Europe Hellas now that their guide was taken from them.
But Democedes gave them a message as they were setting sail; they should tell Darius, he said, that Democedes was engaged to the daughter of Milon. For Darius held the name of Milon the wrestler in great honor; and, to my thinking, Democedes sought this match and paid a great sum for it to show Darius that he was a man of influence in his own country as well as in Iran [53,32] (nation), Asia Persia .
The Persians then put out from +Croton [17.1333,39.0833] (Perseus) Croton ; but their ships were wrecked on the coast of Iapygia, and they were made slaves in the country until Gillus, an exile from +Taranto [17.216,40.466] (inhabited place), Taranto, Apulia, Italy, Europe Tarentum , released and restored them to Darius, who was ready to give him whatever he wanted in return.
Gillus chose to be restored to +Taranto [17.216,40.466] (inhabited place), Taranto, Apulia, Italy, Europe Tarentum and told the story of his misfortune; but, so as not to be the occasion of agitating Greece [22,39] (nation), Europe Greece , if on his account a great expedition sailed against Italy [12.833,42.833] (nation), Europe Italy , he said that it was enough that the Cnidians alone be his escort; for he supposed that the Tarentines would be the readier to receive him back as the Cnidians were their friends.
Darius kept his word, and sent a messenger to the men of +Cnidus Nova [27.366,36.666] (deserted settlement), Mugla Ili, Ege kiyilari, Turkey, Asia Cnidos , telling them to take Gillus back to +Taranto [17.216,40.466] (inhabited place), Taranto, Apulia, Italy, Europe Tarentum . They obeyed Darius; but they could not persuade the Tarentines, and were not able to apply force.
This is what happened, and these Persians were the first who came from Asia (continent) Asia into Greece [22,39] (nation), Europe Hellas , and they came to view the country for this reason.
After this, King Darius conquered +Nisos Samos [26.8,37.75] (island), Samos, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Samos , the greatest of all city states, Greek or barbarian, the reason for his conquest being this: when Cambyses, son of Cyrus, invaded Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt , many Greeks came with the army, some to trade, as was natural, and some to see the country itself; among them was Syloson, son of Aeaces, who was Polycrates' brother and in exile from +Nisos Samos [26.8,37.75] (island), Samos, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Samos .
This Syloson had a stroke of good luck. He was in the market at Mit Rahina [31.25,29.85] (inhabited place), Giza, Upper Egypt, Egypt, Africa Memphis wearing a red cloak, when Darius, at that time one of Cambyses' guard and as yet a man of no great importance, saw him, and coveting the cloak came and tried to buy it.
When Syloson saw Darius' eagerness, by good luck he said, “I will not sell this for any money, but I give it to you free if you must have it so much.” Extolling this, Darius accepted the garment.
Syloson supposed that he had lost his cloak out of foolish good nature. But in time Cambyses died, the seven rebelled against the Magus, and Darius of the seven came to the throne; Syloson then learned that the successor to the royal power was the man to whom he had given the garment in Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt ; so he went up to Shush [48.333,32.2] (inhabited place), Khuzestan, Iran, Asia Susa and sat in the king's antechamber, saying that he was one of Darius' benefactors.
When the doorkeeper brought word of this to the king, Darius asked “But to what Greek benefactor can I owe thanks? In the little time since I have been king hardly one of that nation has come to us, and I have, I may say, no use for any Greek. Nevertheless bring him in, so that I may know what he means.”
The doorkeeper brought Syloson in and the interpreters asked him as he stood there who he was and what he had done to call himself the king's benefactor. Then Syloson told the story of the cloak, and said that it was he who had given it.
“Most generous man,” said Darius, “it was you who gave me a present when I had as yet no power; and if it was a small one, I was none the less grateful then than I am now when I get a big one. In return, I give you gold and silver in abundance so you may never be sorry that you did Darius son of Hystaspes good.”
Syloson answered, “Do not give me gold, O king, or silver, but +Nisos Samos [26.8,37.75] (island), Samos, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Samos , my country, which our slave has now that my brother Polycrates has been killed by Oroetes; give me this without killing or enslaving.”
Having heard this, Darius sent an army and Otanes, one of the seven, to command it, instructing him to do whatever Syloson asked. So Otanes went down to the coast and got his army ready.
Now +Nisos Samos [26.8,37.75] (island), Samos, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Samos was ruled by Maeandrius, son of Maeandrius, who had authority delegated by Polycrates. He wanted to be the justest of men, but that was impossible.